Things That Should Not Be
by Lord of the Potatoes
Summary: When Avatar Aang fell the Equalists rose. Twenty years on and there are still whispers about benders in hiding, using their abilities in secret. Asami still believes in benders, even if her classmates don't. Besides, what would Korra even know about bending anyway?
1. Chapter 1

"Riiiight," Korra drawled. "And a polar bear dog ate my homework."  
There were chuckles from the class. Asami went red.  
"Look, just because..."  
"Just because there was a _spirited_ genocide and no confirmed sightings for, oh, twenty years or so, doesn't mean the benders are all gone?" Korra suggested, and there was a hint of anger behind the sarcasm now. "Give it up, Sato. They're gone, and they're not coming back. Wiped out, de-bended or just straight up executed. Amon and his Equalist bastards were..."  
"Amon!" Asami snapped. "Amon. He was one. That's how..."  
"Oh spirits, not that conspiracy bullshit."  
The GTA coughed and Korra made a vaguely apologetic gesture. "We're a world out of balance, Sato. Case in point, the big honking spirit wild that exploded downtown last year!"  
"That could have been anything. Well...anything spirit-y." Asami amended. "Hell, it could have been the Ava-"  
She stopped, because Korra had stood up so fast her chair had toppled over backwards. An arm shot out, catching Korra in the stomach. Korra let Opal pull her back into her seat. She didn't look up from her notes for the rest of the class.

Asami didn't have an infinite amount of patience, and it was definitely running low today. The extermination of the benders wasn't exactly a light subject to tackle before lunch, especially not with Korra in the class. Who was she to set herself up as the great authority on benders anyway? There were dozens of sightings of benders reported every month. They ranged from the downright paranoid ' _An old man heated his tea with his bare hands!'_ to the incredible _'she crushed the car!'_ , and they couldn't _all_ be wrong. They couldn't. People with the powers of gods didn't just up and vanish, couldn't be wiped out so easily. It just seemed too impossible, no matter how much Korra and Opal dismissed it.

They filed out at the end of class. Asami made to slink off when a hand caught her shoulder. She turned. Opal, again.  
"What?"  
It came out harsher than Asami intended. Opal pulled her to one side, out of the stream of human traffic.  
"Look, about Korra." Opal began awkwardly. "She doesn't mean anything by it, it's just..."  
"She can make her own apologies..." Asami began, but Opal cut over her.  
"You know Korra's Southern Water Tribe, right?"  
Asami paled slightly. She hadn't known. It was fairly obvious that Korra at least had Water Tribe ancestry but she hadn't guessed she was native. Despite all they'd covered in the last few weeks Korra hadn't given any personal insight. Opal watched as the implications hit home.  
"Yeah. So this is something of a touchy subject for her. Look, we're heading to the bar now. You could come join us. We're not as scary as we seem. And yes, by that I mean that Korra's much less of an ass outside of class."  
"It's eleven o'clock." Asami protested, but her heart wasn't really in it. Opal shrugged.  
"And? It's Friday. You got anything more pressing to deal with?"  
Asami paused. There were essays to write and prep reading to deal with and she'd been meaning to do some maintenance on her bike for a week now. Still, she could spare time for one drink, couldn't she?

Korra stopped short of the table, motioning for Opal to go ahead.  
"Usual?" She asked, getting a nod in response. "And you?" Ashe turned to Asami.  
"I can get my own drink, thanks." Asami said, still a little colder than was polite. Korra pinched the bridge of her nose.  
"I'm not good at apologies." She said bluntly. "Look, this one's on me, ok? If you insist, hang around and get the next one."

It shouldn't have been that easy. Outside of class they'd maybe spoken three times. And yet, with the first drink as the grease on the wheels of social interaction, Asami found herself laughing along at Korra's over-the-top anecdotes all the same, slotting neatly into the conversations like they'd known each other years. Asami ducked out of Opal's reach to get the second round of drinks. On the third round Opal's boyfriend turned up, and Asami was pretty sure she'd finally got a glimpse of what would happen if you turned a puppy into human form. Bolin was about six foot of well-built enthusiasm. He'd lifted Opal right out of her seat when he'd hugged her, nearly overturning the table. Korra had to catch both hers and Asami's drinks, with the sort of ease that suggested this was a common occurrence.  
"You still owe me a beer, Bo," Korra called over to him as he headed to the bar, and Bolin waved his acknowledgement.

He returned, with a beer in each hand and a stack of slightly sticky menus under his arm.  
"Can't do a proper session on an empty stomach," he grinned. Asami looked up. Proper session? Somehow that didn't bode well.

Asami groaned, pushing her plate away. Korra and Bolin split the remaining fries between them without as much as a word.  
"How are you even..." she trailed off as Korra took an overenthusiastic bite of her hippocow burger, cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk.  
"Well _I,_ " Bolin placed one hand dramatically on his chest, "got used to having to make the most of meals. Korra just has hollow legs and an unholy metabolism."  
Korra tried to defend herself, but she couldn't speak around the mouthful of meat.  
"Siblings not fond of sharing?" Asami guessed.  
"Street kid." Bolin corrected casually. Asami froze.  
"Sorry, did you say..."  
"Yes, he did." Opal sighed. "Bo, what've we said about just dropping that on people? They either think you're kidding, or they freak out."  
"My bad."  
"Go easy Opal," Korra had finally swallowed, wiping sauce off her chin. "Seeing as you dropped the whole SWT bomb on Asami after class."  
Opal looked embarrassed. Clearly she'd thought she'd been more subtle than that.  
"Asami's tried to line up a completely unnecessary apology three times in the last hour alone." Korra added, making it Asami's turn to look sheepish. "Opal, what _exactly_ did you scare the poor girl with?"  
"Nothing!" Opal said defensively. "I didn't go into details. I just said you were born down there, that's all. I didn't mention the..."  
"Sooo..." Bolin said loudly, cutting his girlfriend off with a meaningful look that would have been a lot more subtle three drinks ago. "Yes, Asami. As hard as it is to believe, this fine creature you see before you was once scraping out a living in the gutters of our fair city with my brother...so actually you were sort of right with the sibling guess, just not the way you'd have thought. He's a cop now. Things have really turned up for us."  
"That's great," Asami said sincerely. "Can I ask how your luck changed?"  
Bolin jerked one sauce-splattered thumb at Korra. Now that was a surprise.

"One day a couple of years ago I wake up from a comfy nap in my cardboard and Pabu, that's my fire ferret, long story, is being chased around the alley by this giant mountain of fur and teeth. I'm freaking out, Mako is just staring, and then out of nowhere there's some random girl yelling at the monster like it's a naughty puppy, and it just _stops_. The girl's all apologetic, ends up shimmying halfway up a building to get Pabu down for me, insisted on getting us dinner as an apology, so we went back to the family she was staying with and..." Bolin glanced sideways at a slightly embarrassed Korra. "Well, we just never got round to leaving."  
Asami tried to imagine her father's reaction if she'd shown up on the doorstep with two hungry, homeless strangers. Maybe they'd have gotten a meal, some clothes, but he'd never have taken them in. "They're like family now. And Korra's like the sister I never had, which makes that whole thing you had with Mako kinda ewww..."  
"That whole thing was ewww on every level," Korra muttered. "We're much better as friends. Much, much better."  
"You could hardly have been worse." Bolin said frankly. Korra had to agree.

The conversation lightened again. They ended up taking over the pool table, with both Korra and Opal warning Asami that Bolin was banned from a dozen pool halls in the city because of his hustling. Still, it wasn't like they were playing for cash and Asami was genuinely impressed to find someone who could beat her at pool. She wondered if his talents extended to pai sho, but this was rather too boozy a day to test that. Some other time. And she was confident there would be another time, seeing as Korra had just swiped Asami's phone to put her number in it.

Asami was taken by surprise when they rang the bell for last orders. She hadn't realised just how fast the time had gone. Then she tried to tot up the drinks she'd had and realised exactly where the time had gone, as well as a significant amount of money and quite a lot of her balance. Across the sticky table Korra aimed a finger at her.  
"I'm taking you home."  
"Uh...I'm flattered, but I generally go on more than one date..."  
Bolin snorted. Korra was grinning, but she looked just a shade pinker than she had a minute ago.  
"I _meant_ I, or rather we, are walking you home. Its dark out and you shouldn't be stumbling about on your lonesome. I might be a Southern savage, but I've got some manners."

Asami supposed that made more sense. But there was something in the way Korra's gaze had dropped that gave her pause. She looked at that slightly sheepish smile, and felt torn. It would be easier and faster just to summon one of her father's fleet of cars, but there was something touching in the offer Korra had made. Or statement. Besides, she wasn't really ready for the day to end, so she agreed. And if she found herself grabbing Korra's fantastically toned upper arm when she stumbled on the stairs, well, she couldn't really be blamed for that now, could she? Korra certainly didn't seem to mind having to steady her.

It took Korra all of five minutes to remember that she still had a hipflask tucked in her jacket pocket, and they passed it round as they walked. Asami spluttered and choked on the first mouthful, to the others' amusement, but there was nothing cruel in their laughter.  
"What the hell is that?!" Asami spluttered. Opal shook her head.  
"Rule one when it comes to Korra and food and drink. Do _not_ ask what it is, because most of the time you do _not_ want to know."  
"City sissies," Korra laughed, taking the flask back. It tasted like honey and liquid fire. "Bolin will eat a hotdog made of spirits knows what, but I make _one_ plate of tigerseal nuggets..."  
"Ooh, hotdogs! We should get hotdogs!"

It was somewhere after the hotdog van that Asami started to feel uneasy. The city at night had eyes, and they made a pretty target; four students with laptop bags and too much drink in their bloodstream. She seemed to be the only one with any misgivings though. Ahead Korra and Bolin had were play fighting, shoving each other off the pavement or into the wall. Then without a word they were racing to scramble up a lamppost, Bolin crowing that he'd be the champion. Opal gave Asami a look, and Asami tried to remember to smile back. Korra reached the top first, tearing down the scrap of material that had hung there with a cheer, sliding down the post like a fireman's pole after Bolin. Asami got a good look at the material in Korra's fist, and the nervousness gave way to true fear. Gang colours. Triple Threat Triad. They'd wandered into gang territory in the dark and Korra had torn down their marker, and seemed completely ignorant of why that might be a bad idea. She was waving it around like a trophy. Bolin was a Republic City native, he had to know the dangers of the gangs, but he too seemed curiously uncaring about Korra painting a target on her back.  
"Asami, calm down," Opal soothed, or tried to at least. She wasn't exactly sober either, none of them were. "There's no reason to panic."  
"No reason to panic?" Asami echoed, as the gang member emerged from the shadow. He had to have been trailing them for a while, waiting for them to stop. Asami saw him over Korra's shoulder. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but Korra had already turned, still jovial, delivering a vicious uppercut that sent the man staggering back.  
"Hey there." Korra grinned. "Nice night, isn't it?"  
He looked up at her, and recognition dawned.  
"Oh _fuck_." The gangster moaned, and Asami's brain ground to a halt.

"Not your night, huh?" Korra said, faking sympathy. "Look, just drop the stash. Don't pretend you don't have one," she warned. "Hand it over now, and there'll be no need for a repeat performance. I don't want to pull another of your teeth out of my knuckles. Do you know how dirty someone's mouth is? It got all itchy and infected. It wasn't pleasant."  
The man looked from Korra's face to her clenched fists, and then began emptying his jacket of wallets and phones and a small amount of jewellery, piling it at Korra's feet.  
"Smart man. You want me to give you a nice shiner, so the boys think you put up more of a fight?"  
"Sure..."  
Korra's fist was moving before he even finished. He yelped, clutching his face. "There you go." She said, still in that affable tone. " And hey. Consolation prize." She tucked the gang colour into his belt. "Blame a rival gang, maybe you guys can spend some time bloodying each other up instead of innocent people for a change. Oh," She paused, and although her voice did not change Asami could have sworn the temperature dipped a few degrees. "Next time I see you, I won't be nice. Now get the fuck out of here."  
He took off at a sprint.

Korra stooped, gathering the stolen items carefully into her rucksack., Bolin crossing to give her a hand.  
"Asami? You ok?"  
"What?" Asami jolted. "Oh. Yeah. I just...I never saw a reverse mugging before. Gangs scare the shit out of me. Been robbed by them before." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it was far from the full truth.  
"Recently? Because that's the third idiot to try Korra this month alone. There's a chance the cops have your stuff."  
"You do this a lot?"  
"Not exactly. Or at least, not intentionally. Korra just...oh, you done?"  
Korra came over, swigging from her hipflask. "He had quite the haul. Must have been a good night for him. Two engagement-looking rings that I imagine their owners will be very glad to get back."  
"I'll call Mako in the morning. But I suggest we get moving, because I doubt you want to fight the whole triad tonight."  
Korra seemed to consider it for a moment. "Nah, I'm good. 'Sami, you ok?"  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. How's the hand?"  
Korra examined her reddened knuckles as they set off again. "Nothing to worry about. I'm sorry about...all that. It wasn't supposed...This wasn't claimed territory last week. The Agni Kais must be pushing west."

They finally reached the Sato house. Or rather, the gatehouse of the Sato mansion. Bolin and Korra let out a synchronised whistle. Asami looked embarrassed.  
"It's a little big, I know."  
"Asami, there are _towns_ in the South Pole smaller than this." Korra told her, making her blush more. "Shall we walk you to the door, my lady?" Bolin asked, with an exaggerated bow. It could have been annoying, but Asami had to fight back a laugh.  
"Yes. Because if you think I'm letting you three clowns go traipsing back through the territory of a pissed-off gang you must be mad."  
"You really don't need to." Opal said. "We'll be fine. We can skirt Triple threat turf, we've just got to get to the harbour." She said it with much a blasé voice that Asami didn't work out what was worrying about the statement for a moment.  
"The harbour...no, no, no, that's like, Red Monsoon heartland! No. Not at this time of night. I've got more than enough space. As you can see."  
The three exchanged a glance. Asami might have been a little the worse for wear, but it seemed to her they were checking with Korra.  
"I'll need to make a quick call. Just to reassure the folk at home we're not dead."

Asami set them up with two of a seemingly infinite number of guest rooms. Korra flopped down onto the bed, pulling out her phone. She fumbled the lock screen a few times, and realised she was probably drunker than she'd thought.  
"Damn it." She groaned aloud, not wanting to leave the stupidly comfortable bed. She paused, listening for sounds of life from the house, but it was quiet. It was safe. She moved her hands with less precision than she was used to, drawing a stream of water from the en suite tap over to her. Most she drank, the rest she splashed over her face. That would probably revive her enough to send a legible message to Tenzin, enough to keep him from sending out the White Lotus to find her this time. With that taken care of she crawled under the unfamiliar blankets and let herself drift off, trying not to think too much about raven hair and dark red lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Asami woke and wished she hadn't. Her head was pounding and her mouth tasted like something had died in it. Water. She needed water. She managed to stumble to the bathroom, failed to find a glass, and resorted to just sticking her head under the tap. Ah yes. The great, suave, unflappable Asami Sato, with her makeup smudged over her face and pillow and her head practically in the sink. She really shouldn't have had that last drink. Or the three before that.

Forty five minutes later she was actually feeling almost human, showered and made up to her usual standards, wrapped in a dressing gown. Right. Time to be a host. Assuming of course that any of the others were awake yet.

She tiptoed down the corridor, pausing outside Korra's room. She could hear the slight creak of floorboards, a faint sound of music. Asami knocked lightly, but there was no answer. She opened it a crack, just to check, and promptly let the door swing open all the way. Korra didn't notice, because she was facing the other way. The music was coming from her headphones, the wire dangling down from her ears to pool around the player on the floor. And yes, hanging down. Korra was holding herself in a handstand position, the muscles in her arms working beautifully as she lowered herself almost to the carpet, then pushed back up. Asami just stared. Korra had apparently forgone a shirt, dressed in just jeans and a bra, meaning Asami had a glorious view of Korra's well-developed shoulders and back, watching the tattoo that wrapped round her upper arm bulge with every flex. If she'd had a marker and an anatomical chart she could have picked out every single muscle on Korra's torso.

Asami wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there when Korra pushed herself up one final time. She returned to her feet in a fluid movement, stretching out her shoulders. She turned, and just about leapt out of her skin, hands clenching immediately into fists.  
"Uh...morning," Asami managed belatedly, as Korra's fists uncurled. "Sorry, I just...uh...I was..."  
Korra chuckled.  
"How's your head? Feeling a little fragile this morning?" She teased, wrapping her headphones up and shoving them into her pocket. Asami was very determinedly trying not to stare.  
"Abs...absolutely. I am never drinking that rotgut you gave me again."  
Korra dramatically put a hand over her chest as if wounded.  
"Rotgut? That stuff's fit for great chieftains! Honestly, I thought you were a woman with good taste. Next you'll be telling me you don't like tigerseal."  
"Hey, I like most things Southern!" Asami protested good-naturedly. Korra raised an eyebrow, grinning mischievously.  
"Oh, you do, do you?"  
Asami went red, but she was saved answering by a loud rumbling from Korra's stomach. "Breakfast?" Asami suggested, and Korra nodded gratefully.

Asami didn't really use the kitchen much, but Hiroshi had taken the chef with him on his business trip, leaving her to grapple with the uncooperative stove while Korra tried to hunt down plates. She heard the awkward cough and turned to see Korra looking rather sheepish.  
"Have you got a step or something?" She asked, indicating the just out of reach plates. "Didn't really think I should go climbing on your counters."  
"I've got it."  
They switched positions. Korra double-checked Asami was facing away and lit the hob with a snap of her fingers. Asami turned back, crockery in hand, to find Korra already cracking eggs into a spitting frying pan.  
"Should we wake Bolin and Opal? I..."  
"He'll be down the second he smells food, so if you want to eat we better get a head start. Trust me," Korra added seriously. "He's a walking stomach in the mornings."

Korra was halfway through the second plate of her head start when her phone rang. She swallowed the mouthful of bacon, digging her phone out of her pocket.  
"City morgue, you kill 'em we...Oh, sorry, Tenzin."  
Asami looked up from her tea. Korra had gone pale.  
"Yeah...no, I didn't forget. Well, I didn't forget it was happening just what day it was...ok, yes, that is sort of forgetting...Look, I'm sorry, ok? I'll be there as soon as..." she checked her watch. "Ah. Wait, what? Oh you are kidding. Did Bumi...of course he did. Right. Yes, I know this is my fault. Ok. See you."  
She hung up and dropped her face to the table.  
"Shit. Shit, shit, shit."  
"Everything ok?" Asami asked, though it clearly wasn't.  
"Nope," Korra sat back up. "Ok, uh, I'm going to be a real terrible guest right now, so, sorry about that."  
"Uh..."  
But Korra had already jumped up from the table and was sprinting back upstairs. Asami followed.

She caught up with Korra hammering on the door to Bolin and Opal's room. There was a noise of protest from within.  
"Five more minutes!" Bolin called plaintively, voice muffled.  
"No more minutes! We have screwed fucking pooch this time guys!"  
The door opened, revealing a sleepy eyed Opal in nothing but Bolin's overly large shirt, and Bolin in just his boxers.  
"What are you talking about..."  
"Ba Sing Se."  
Boling frowned. "Ba Sing Se?"  
"Ba Sing Se!"  
" _Ba Sing Se_!" Opal's eyes went wide and she grabbed Bolin's arm to check his watch. "We were supposed to be on the airship to Ba Sing Se an hour ago!"  
"Yeah. So get dressed! They're swinging this way to pick us up."

Opal and Bolin retreated back into their room. Asami followed Korra to hers, finding the girl lacing her boots on.  
"Um, Korra?" She began awkwardly. "I don't actually have an airship landing crew on duty so..."  
"That would be a problem." Korra shoved her jacket into her rucksack. "But, luckily enough, we don't have enough time to park."  
Asami did not like the glint in Korra's eyes.

"Can I ask why you're in such a rush?" Asami asked.  
"Because you don't keep Queen Bitchface waiting. Not if you're trying to get anything out of her, at least."  
"You're going to see Queen Hou-Ting?" Asami asked, more than a little stunned. Korra laughed.  
"Us? No way. Tenzin is. We just go along to keep Meelo out of trouble. Last time he tried to smuggle in an army of lemurs."  
"Wait, Tenzin? As in..."  
"Councilman Tenzin, custodian of all things Air Nomad related." Korra said it like it wasn't a big deal. She looked at Asami's expression. "Oh, yeah, um, he's the one me and Bo live with. Nice guy, if a little serious. Speaking of serious..." Korra checked her phone again and thumped on the adjoining wall. "C'mon already! Haul ass!"

They made it to the lawn with minutes to spare, Asami still in her dressing gown, Bolin's shirt down up all wrong and Opal still trying to rub sleep out of her eyes. The airship was approaching, beginning to descend towards them. The ladder unfurled, trailing along the grass, and Asami suddenly realised what they planned to do.  
"You've got to be...you've done this before, right?" She asked, looking at the height of the ship, and the slow but steady progress of the ladder. The three shared a look.  
"Uh..."  
"Well..."  
"Not as such." Korra admitted. "But the theory is sound. Bo, you first. If you fall screaming to your death we'll know it's a bad idea."

Bolin jogged towards the ladder, grabbing on and starting to scramble up. Opal was quick to follow.  
"Sorry to dash out so early," Korra said, as the end of the ladder drew level with her. She stepped easily onto the lowest rung, looping an arm round a higher one. "Do this again sometime?" she asked, and Asami thought she caught a note of hopefulness over the noise of the engines.  
"Sounds great!" Asami called up. "But maybe minus the airship?"  
Korra beamed in response and the ladder began to retract, the zeppelin angling sharply up to avoid hitting the trees at the far end of the lawn. Asami watched until the figures had vanished inside the main body of the airship.  
"What the bloody hell have I gotten myself into?" She asked the retreating craft.

Mako was waiting for them on board. Korra airbent herself up the last few feet and he shut the hatch behind her.  
"Real smart," he said, his usual frown in place. "You know how rare it is we get these opportunities, right? And you nearly throw..."  
"Bro, chill out." Bolin yawned. "We made it, ok? It could have gone a bit smoother..." Mako rolled his eyes, "But we're all aboard. So take a breath, and tell me where I can get some breakfast on this thing."  
Mako just scowled and tried a different tactic.  
"Korra, you of all people..."  
"I think we both agreed we get on a lot better when you don't spend all your time critiquing my Avataring, didn't we?" Korra said mildly, but Mako got the message. "Now let's just go, ok? I'm sure Tenzin has a whole lecture prepped."

The three latecomers plus Mako made their way into the centre of the airship, taking their seats at the oval table in the main area.  
"Now we're all here," Tenzin said pointedly, and Korra rolled her eyes. "We can get down to business."

"We got a report from one of our eyes in Ba Sing Se that something shifty was going on."  
"Well that certainly is specific enough to drag us several hundred miles," Korra deadpanned, and Tenzin scowled.  
"Two known benders have vanished in the last month, that he knows of. Taken, by force."  
Korra's indifference crumbled away.  
"He's sure?"  
"One of the alleys was still on fire when he came by. They blamed a gas explosion, but..." Tenzin didn't need to elaborate. "We've been hearing the rumours for months, but this..."  
"If he's right this is the first confirmed abduction since Amon fell." Korra rubbed her eyes. This could not be happening. Not after all the progress they'd been making, not after all their efforts. Whatever was going on they needed to find out, fast. She looked around the table, trying to ignore Meelo wiggling like he had a pricklesnake in his underpants, waving his hand in the air to try and get her attention. The roster wasn't exactly the stuff of legends; one councilman not available for duty, two hungover students, an overtired cop who was glaring at his very evidently distracted brother, three children and a retired commander. Then again, Aang had saved the world with less.  
"Ok. I'm taking the usual three, plus Jinora. Bumi, you're backup."  
"You _what_?" Tenzin demanded. Across the table Jinora sat up a bit and Meelo seemed to be about to complain when Ikki put a hand over his mouth. Korra put on her best reasonable face.  
"We only have as much time as you can bleed out of the Earth Queen. Even your patience wears out eventually. Jinora's spiritual projection will save us time on searching, assuming Kai has narrowed the area to something less than the entire city."  
Tenzin gave her a sharp look. Jinora had actually squeaked at the mention of Kai's name. Korra made a note to tease her about that later. For now though it was airbender senior she needed to deal with.  
"Who told you the tip came from Kai?"  
"There are three airbenders watching over Ba Sing Se, one in each ring. You don't get alleys in the top two, and Kai volunteered for the lower ring." Korra shrugged. She didn't bother to add that, had it not been Kai, Tenzin would have been rather more forthcoming with the name. He had been a little too eager to accept Kai's offer to work as an informant away from Republic City and, more to the point, away from Tenzin's daughter. It might have been a more effective stumbling block to the relationship if Jinora wasn't capable of sending her spirit halfway round the world in the blink of an eye. Across the table Tenzin rubbed his prematurely lined forehead.  
"Of course. Just..." he looked round the table at them all. "Be careful, won't you?"  
"It's us." Bolin grinned confidently. "What could possibly..."  
Opal's elbow to the ribs stopped him midsentence.


	3. Chapter 3

Ba Sing Se

Korra pulled back her hair into a braid. The triple ponytail look was a little too distinctive for what they needed today. Jinora was sat cross-legged on the cabin's bed, breathing evenly. Her mind was several miles ahead of them, 'rendezvousing' with Kai. Tenzin had not appreciated Korra's air quotes around the word. Jinora's blushing and Ikki's giggles hadn't really helped with that.

The cabin on the airship was Korra's. They had had enough of these early morning call outs and covert expeditions for the ship to feel like something between the family car and a holiday home. A dysfunctional family's car, admittedly, but it worked. And it meant that she had a supply of clothing that she hadn't slept in or spilled beer on. It was time to tool up.

Korra wrapped her hands, testing the tension with a couple of punches. They'd do. She'd cover the wrappings themselves with gloves and long sleeves when they left the ship; it didn't do to look too much like a wandering MMA contestant, and her tattoos were practically like wearing a passport on her sleeve. She wished she could use proper waterskins, just for once, but she had to settle for a light rucksack and two water bottles. It didn't quite have the same intimidation factor. Or style. She hunted down the shirt, plain blue, and the fraying black fingerless gloves. At this rate she'd need a new pair. Korra glanced at Jinora but the girl was still meditating. Great. Waiting never had been Korra's specialty. She knotted and reknotted her boots, testing her movements in the cramped cabin until a knock at the door disturbed her. She directed the water back into its bottles, dropping the rucksack.  
"Who is it?" She asked.  
"Me," The voice answered helpfully. Korra rolled her eyes, opening the door to find Mako stood there looking awkward, and it wasn't just because he was wearing civilian clothes for what could well have been the first time in weeks. "Look, I know this isn't a great time..."  
"We're about to go investigate multiple abductions. Yeah, it's not exactly time for a chat."  
"Always with the smart answer." Mako sighed, but for once he didn't actually look irritated.

"I didn't mean, at the hatch...I know this is hardest on you. I, well, actually I _don't_ get it. None of us can, can we? That's kind of the problem."  
The hint of humour was gone from Korra's face now. He took her expression and silence as agreement. "But please, please be careful, ok?"  
"Don't need to be careful," Korra replied and Mako started to scowl. "Why would I? I know you've got my back."  
That made him smile, if only for a moment. Korra heard the bed creak behind her and craned her neck, seeing Jinora stretching, clearly back on the physical plain.  
"Good timing, supercop."

Jinora relayed the information Kai had picked up, including a potential route the kidnappers may have taken their firebender down. It was a start at least. Korra leaned over the map in the main room, and tapped a spot with her finger.  
"Here. This is our best bet at dropping in undetected. We've all got passes, but if we go all the way into the upper ring we're going to lose valuable time. Worst case, Hooty-Mc-Bitchface..."  
"Queen Hou-Ting," Tenzin corrected.  
"Isn't that what I said?" Korra asked innocently. "Well, her, or her attendants, could interfere and keep us trapped up there, sipping tea and eating stupid little sandwiches. As much as I like sandwiches that's not going to happen. We disembark here. It's pretty much on our approach so it won't look too suspicious."  
Bolin twisted his head, trying to read the map upside down.  
"When you say disembark..."

"THIS IS NOT DISEMBARKING!" Bolin yelled. Korra pretended not to hear him, heaving open the lower hatch of the airship. They wouldn't be using the ladder this time.  
"Just hold tight to Opal," Mako reassured him. "Normally it's getting you to let go of her that's the problem." He added, nudging his brother, who shoved him in retaliation. Jinora cleared her throat.  
"Boys. Behave."  
They both stopped at her curt, disturbingly Tenzin-sounding tone. Jinora didn't seem to notice their expressions. "Honestly, you're as bad as Meelo. We've got a really small window here, we can't miss it."  
Korra and Opal exchanged a look over the younger airbender's head.  
"Is that mission-orientated Jinora we're hearing, or 'I get to physically see my boyfriend for the first time in three months so don't screw it up' Jinora?" Korra asked, and the blush was answer enough. "Knew it! Ahem, sorry. Jinora's right. Let's keep focused til we're at least on the ground, ok? Here comes the factory."

The factory was indeed coming into view through the open hatch. As was its great chimney, belching smoke into the sky. An eyesore, an environmental nightmare, and a perfect entry point. Assuming you could fly, of course.

They jumped in quick succession, the plumes of smoke hiding their descent from any eyes on the ground. Mako's firebending would have been too obvious but Jinora and Korra took an arm each in freefall, slowing their descent and dragging their covering blanket of smog down with them, all but scraping themselves against the chimney stack. They landed gently. Bolin and Opal were a little less graceful; Bolin was latched onto Opal's back like a terrified koala and they toppled over backwards on hitting the ground, landing Bolin squarely on his backside with Opal still in a death grip. It took a very unsubtle cough from Mako for him to realise that he was no longer falling through the air and to open a shallow tunnel to get them outside of the factory fence and onto the streets of Ba Sing Se.  
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Korra asked with a grin, and Bolin just huffed, brushing the muck off his trousers.

They skulked in the backstreets while Jinora went to fetch Kai. Korra called Tenzin, assuring him that they had landed undetected. Jinora finally emerged, leading Kai. He'd grown an inch in the last few months but he was still lean and scrawny, his hair looking more tousled than usual. Korra raised one eyebrow and Jinora steadfastly refused to make eye contact.

They didn't hang around to make small talk. Kai led them through the alleyways, past the still ruined scene of the apparent abduction, to a large grate set into the worn cobblestones. It was the work of a moment for Korra to bend it open and for them to drop inside. Bolin opted to use the ladder instead, grumbling about airbenders as he did so. Korra shut it behind them, leaving no trace of their entrance.

The tunnel beneath was surprisingly high and wide, and while it smelled musty there was a thankfully absence of anything worse than mould and rubbish that had been washed down.  
"This is so much better than that sewer in Omashu," Bolin said with feeling, and even Mako shuddered at that particular memory. This time he was much more cautious in conjuring up a fireball to light the tunnel for them, but mercifully there were no pockets of methane this time round. It had been something of a learning experience for them all. Even with Mako's light all they could see was near endless tunnel.  
"So." Mako looked from one end to the other, his voice echoing slightly. "Which way?"

It was Jinora who made the call, and they set off for the branch that led out of the city, towards the infamous Lake Laogai. It was supposed to have been filled with concrete following the fall of the Dai Li, but the absurdly spacious tunnel they were currently walking through did nothing to suggest that. Korra was bringing up the rear, lost in thought. To have kept the lake base open would have required a great deal of political leverage, not to mention money. If this was where the firebender had been taken they were going up against something big. That did not bode well. She wasn't really paying attention, too lost in thought, which was why she walked straight into Kai's back. The party had come to an abrupt halt, Mako holding his makeshift torch a little higher. The brickwork had been blackened, a thin layer of soot that came off when Mako rubbed it. He sniffed his fingers.  
"Firebender. Maybe a week ago. Seems like it could be our guy," he announced grimly. "Eyes open, people. Let's not lose anyone else today."

The tunnel was too long and too dark and too quiet. Every rustle, every footstep was deafening. Korra could hear her heartbeat and it was really beginning to piss her off. Then she thought about just how ridiculous that sentence was and had to bite on her hand to stop from giggling out loud. It was Jinora's turn to give her a questioning look.

They stopped again, this time because they'd run out of tunnel. It had been bricked up ahead of them. Korra eyed the wall up.  
"Jinora. Do your thing, if you don't mind."  
Jinora promptly sat down on the flagstones, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. It only took a moment for the blue translucent form to climb out of its mortal host and stride through the brickwork. Bolin spoke for all of them.  
"Does that still creep anyone else out?"

Jinora's head poked back through the wall.  
"You're going to want to see this." She said, but she didn't look happy. "Oh, and this isn't a wall. It's a door. There's a mechanism through here."  
"Can you open it?" Bolin asked. Jinora rolled her eyes, walking back towards her body, straight through Bolin. Bolin shuddered. "Ok, ok, message received. Please never do that again?"  
"Bo, stop goofing around and get that wall open," Korra sighed. Bolin did so, splitting the rock neatly. They entered cautiously, although Jinora surely would have warned them about any imminent threats. Kai found a light switch and miraculously resisted the urge to utter a pun about throwing light on the situation. The fluorescent tubes flickered into life.  
"Well. This certainly isn't the lake Laogai Aang knew."

The room they had entered into was six sided. No windows, just heavy looking doors like those on bank vaults. Four of them had a symbol painted on them. Air and Water on side, on the other Earth and Fire. The door immediately opposite them was blank.  
"Anyone else really not liking this?" Kai asked, to a mute chorus of nods. Mako headed for the door marked 'Fire', spinning the wheel to withdraw the heavy bolts. It swung open.

This room too was empty, blasted with scorch marks. There were chains in the centre, attached to winches set into the floor, but there was no visible means to activate them. And then there was the contraption set up to one side of the room. Mako didn't need to be told to start doing his detective thing.

Bolin and Opal had ventured beyond the unmarked door, finding another hexagonal room. The first try found nothing more exciting than an empty meeting room, a dozen maps tacked up on the wall, covered in coloured pins. The second contained a whole mess of computers and monitors. Opal took the desk chair, powering them up. They weren't password protected, possibly because people living in underground lairs figure they already have all the security they need. The first monitor was a set of security cameras. By the looks of it there were cameras in each of the first set of rooms, covering multiple angles. Bolin found a set of control panel marked "fire". He pushed one of the buttons.

Mako had given up on the chains and was examining the only other thing in the room. The device came up to about chest height, made of black metal. There was an arm or probe pointing towards the centre of the room, and a heavily shielded tank attached to the other side. With a flammable warning sticker on it. Mako walked back round to the front. The penny was stubbornly refusing to drop when he brought his eye close to the end of the probe, just in time to see the pilot light ignite.  
"Wha...SHIT!"  
And then the world was an inferno.

Bolin was frozen in horror. Opal snatched the control panel from him, deactivating the flamethrower. The flames died at once, revealing a very shaken and somewhat singed Mako. He turned to one of the cameras, arms raised. Opal wished she wasn't able to lip-read. Mako was being unusually creative in his rant at whoever had just nearly set him alight, although he seemed to be ignorant of the limitations of human anatomy.

Mako's sleeve was still smoking when he joined them in the control room, brushing off Bolin's stammered apologies. Kai joined them, doing a double take at Mako's appearance but deciding it was probably safer not to go there.  
"This place is empty." He announced. "Kitchen's clean, not as much as a crumb. Bunkhouse is all made up for ten but there's not even a loose sock. No sign of either of the benders they took. Opal, what are you..."  
Opal had pulled something out of her pocket and was plugging it into the computer.  
"Hard drive. There might be something useful on here, but this isn't the place to do home movie night. We can look at it on the ship, maybe find out why someone was trying to BBQ a firebender."  
"Cos they're idiots?" Bolin suggested. "I mean, you can't burn...a firebender..." he trailed off. "Oh hell."  
Mako caught on.  
"Shit. Where's Korra and Jinora?"  
"They're," Kai turned to an empty space behind him. "Huh. They _were_ right there."  
" _Shit_."  
Mako dodged round him, running for the corridor.

"Why do I feel like the outsider?" Kai asked. "And why are we shitting?"  
Bolin made a face.  
"Dude. Phrasing."  
Opal had turned back to the security cameras, cycling through the feeds to find the one they needed. Mako had reached the Water room, but there was no Korra there. Jinora was there, sat on the floor, but by the way she didn't react to Mako careering in she was only there in body.

The setup was different in this room. There was a deep pool in the centre of the room, and a single chain snaked up from a coil in deepest part of it. By the size of the metal ring it was designed to be secured around someone's neck.

"We need to find Korra." Bolin wasn't worried she'd come to harm; they'd heard nothing and Jinora certainly would have warned them if they were under attack. It was more about stopping Korra bringing harm to others. "Kai, what else did you find? Where could she have gone?"  
"Uh..." The young airbender started ticking them off on his fingers. "Kitchen, bunkhouse, living room, bathroom, exit tunnel, weapons storage..."  
"Exit tunnel?" Bolin repeated in disbelief. "You know, you make a much better thief than a scout. Can you guys..."  
"We've got this," Opal reassured him.

The exit tunnel was even wider than the one they had entered by; judging by the tyre tracks the former occupants had been able to fit full-sized trucks down it, and it was considerably longer. Bolin started off at a run but he had to give that up long before he saw any sign of Korra. To rub salt in the wound Mako chose that moment to quite literally rocketed past him, propelling himself with blast of fire from his hands and feet.  
"Cheat!" Bolin tried to yell, but he was too out of breath. Most likely Korra had done the same. It would explain why Jinora hadn't tried to keep pace with her. That was a worry all of its own though; Korra didn't tend to break out the rocketman impersonation without a good reason.

Mako cut his jets when he saw daylight, approaching the opening carefully. They were way out of the city limits now, somewhere near the motorway judging by the distant roar of engines. Korra was sat at the base of a boulder just off from the dirt track, hugging her knees to her chest. Jinora's spirit was sat nearby. They were speaking but it was too quiet for Mako to hear. They stood as he approached, Korra looking slightly sheepish as she failed to hug Jinora's incorporeal form, and the girl laughed. She accepted Mako's arm as they returned to the tunnel, Jinora fading back to her body.

It was a long walk back.

By the time they returned Opal had already duplicated the hard drive, taken extensive photographs including the maps on the wall, the machines and the weaponry they had left behind. There was nothing for them to do but close the wall behind them and pretend they had never been there.

Bolin tried to get Korra interested in another high-octane exit strategy but she wasn't interested. They simply showed their passes, including the spare they'd bought for Kai, and boarded the train to the upper ring. Opal pulled her jacket close, the hard drive feeling like a lead weight in her inner pocket.

Tenzin looked as drained as they felt when they entered the airship. Korra shunned the central table. She sat a little way off on the sofas, absent-mindedly spinning a few marbles about with airbending as the others filled Tenzin in. Opal checked that Bumi was still distracting Meelo and Ikki in a different part of the ship before she loaded some of the video files onto her laptop. She'd had time to watch them while the others had been finding Korra, but no way near enough time to process.

Tenzin did not react in the slightest as men in masks manhandled the firebender into the cell, locking chains about his neck and ankles. He did not blink as they withdrew, leaving the man to come round from whatever beating they had subjected him to, nor as the captive hammered on the unforgiving steel doors. He didn't flinch as the flamethrower ignited, or as the chains began to be retracted, dragging the man towards the path of the flames, inch by inch. He swallowed when he was finally pulled into the flames, desperately bending the inferno around him. And then the fire died, and the man slumped to the floor, clearly exhausted, clearly weeping. The footage ended. Tenzin sat back in his chair.  
"There are others." Opal said quietly, but she didn't need to raise her voice. "One waterbender. And three...three nonbenders."  
"Who would do something like this?" Kai asked, uncharacteristically serious. There was a click from across the room. Korra had dropped a marble. She stopped twirling the remaining three.  
"We know who it is." She said, and she sounded about thirty years older than she should. "The testing. Finding benders. We've all seen this before."  
There was silence. Nobody wanted to the one to say it, to invoke the name, to make it real. Korra picked up the dropped piece, rolling the set round in her hand. The engraving was worn by time and handling, but the symbol of the Air Nomads was still just about legible. Korra closed her fist round them.  
"The Equalists are back."

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update! Any reviews, no matter how harsh, are very welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

The flight home was very subdued. Korra had shut herself in her cabin as soon as the ship had gotten underway. Even when they returned to Air Temple Island she wouldn't open the door, but when Jinora tried to bring dinner by in the evening she found the room empty. She sighed, whipping up an air scooter to get over to the dormitories before the meal got cold.  
"Korra?" Jinora called. "I saved you some supper."  
There was no response from inside, but she could feel Korra's spiritual energy behind the door. It wasn't its normal reassuring presence but a boiling mass of rage, like a thunderstorm in a bottle. No wonder she didn't want to be around people.  
"I'll just set it down here, ok? Mind how you open the door."

Jinora waited at the far end of the corridor, hoping to at the very least see a hand reach out and take the offering, but no such luck. She sighed, turning away and walking straight into Tenzin. He barely caught the bowl, spilling rice across the corridor floor.  
"I think if you wanted to mend bridges you're going to need more than rice." Jinora brushed the spilled grains out of her hair. The pair had gotten into a blazing row, almost literally on Korra's part, back on the ship. Korra had been set on recalling the watching airbenders from Ba Sing Se. Tenzin had been for them staying, at least until they could bug the tunnel at both ends and see if anyone came back. Unkind words had been said by both parties. It was probably half the reason Korra had retreated to her own space.  
"It's not fair, dad."  
"I didn't leave Kai there to separate the two of you," Tenzin began, but Jinora was shaking her head.  
"I didn't mean about that. Although that does suck." She added as an afterthought. "I mean, I know why you did it, but seriously, that sucks."  
"I know. And Korra knows it too, I think."  
"She's not been like this in ages, dad." Jinora stole another glance towards the stubbornly closed door. "It's not...it'll be better than last time, right?"  
"I hope so. Spirits, I hope so."

When Jinora got up for breakfast the next morning the bowl was gone and it no longer felt like a storm cloud had taken up residence at the end of the hall.

Jinora found Bolin and Opal outside, sat together under one of the trees. Bolin was playing with Pabu, trailing a stick for the excitable little fuzzball to chase. Opal was leaning back against him. She'd been reading by the looks of things but she'd dozed off. Bolin's arm was round her waist. Jinora tried not to feel too jealous. It wasn't their fault Kai had been left behind in Ba Sing Se. Damn the Equalists, and damn Kai's newfound sense of purpose. _If only Korra had_...Jinora stopped the thought right there and changed direction, heading for one of the more distant meditation pavilions. Korra wasn't the only one who could do with space right now.

The Avatar herself was currently somewhere beneath them. The cavern had been one of Bolin's more intelligent suggestions; a hollow beneath the island, somewhere screened from view where they could really cut loose when it came to practice. Tenzin had had to fake a temple fire after one particularly vicious sparring match between Mako and Korra had been seen from the mainland. It had been their last match as a couple. The initial cavern had long since become a system of caves, some of which could only be accessed by bending as an extra level of security. Korra generally used the sea cave, the entrance of which was situated some twenty feet below sea level. Even getting in the right general are necessitated a fifty foot drop from the island's cliffs, an unenviable prospect for non-waterbenders. When Korra wanted privacy Korra made damn sure she had privacy.

It was mid afternoon before she surfaced. Tenzin looked up from his computer screen to see a dishevelled Avatar in his doorway, clad in baggy tracksuit bottoms and a t shirt, hair loose and slightly damp. There was a laptop under her arm. Tenzin beckoned her in and Korra took the seat opposite his cluttered desk, balancing her laptop on a stack of paperwork.  
"I thought you might not come." Tenzin admitted.  
"Thought about it. But here I am. And with..." Korra checked her watch. "Two minutes to go."  
She opened up her laptop, opening the program. The image of stylised white lotus filled the screen. She cracked her knuckles, seeing Tenzin wince out the corner of her eye. "Right. Let's go spread the bad news."

Korra entered her password, the webcam flickering into life as the encrypted video call began.  
"Wow, Tenzin. It's like you're actually in the room," she deadpanned. Tenzin didn't dignify it with a response. The device beeped as another person signed in, then another, and another. The video feeds started opening, leading with a grey haired woman dressed in green.  
"Zaofu here."  
"Capital city is online." Izumi adjusted her glasses.

"Mother, you're supposed to..."  
"I know what I'm supposed to do, but how am I supposed to tell who the hell I'm speaking to? In case you've forgotten I'm blind!" Toph scowled, staring a good three inches to the left of her camera. Suyin pinched the bridge of her nose.  
"We've discussed this...oh for pity's sake..."  
"Ahem." A bearded man glad in blue had appeared, clearing his throat. "This is the South Pole. Hi, sweetheart. Are you..."  
"Not now, dad." Korra groaned, as Suyin hid a smile and Toph snorted.  
"It is with increasing boredom that we must announce the North Pole is also online, cousin Korra." Eska appeared onscreen, as emotionless as ever. Desna's shoulder was visible. He was making no effort to actually get into shot.  
"Grand Lotus of the Earth Empire, online."  
"Kyoshi Island is here."

Tenzin checked them off his mental list. He'd hoped for a few more of the Grand Lotuses, but it would have to do. He put his hands together and gave the screen a short bow, a gesture most returned. Tonraq spoke for the assembled group.  
"Why have you called this meeting, Tenzin? You know it's always a risk for us to contact each other, especially all at once like this."  
"Delaying would have been the greater risk, Chief Tonraq." Tenzin said heavily. He relayed what they had found in Ba Sing Se to a sea of stony faces. Izumi was looking particularly pale. Fifteen years of imprisonment would do that to a person.  
"Are you sure?"  
Korra nodded.  
"They had equipment there to..." She made a face. "Let's go with _compel_ a bender of any element to reveal themselves, even air. And that's what really worries me. The world thinks that Aang was the last airbender. For them to have prepared...well..."  
"It means one of two things," barked a voice, and Lin's scowl appeared onscreen. "Best case scenario, they're paranoid and covering their asses. Worst case..."  
"They already know they exist." Korra supplied. "And if they know about airbenders, spirits only know how much they know about us all. We could all be in danger."

Korra's doom-laden proclamation was met with silence.  
"So what's the plan?"  
The Grand Lotus spoke up.  
"It is clear, given the risks, that Avatar must be removed from Republic..."  
"Like. Hell." Korra growled."Let's get one thing clear before we start. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not running. Now are we going to talk about how the last five years of struggling seem to have been for nothing and the enemy is hunting our people down, or are you going to sit there and pout like a little bitch?"  
The Grand Lotus glared.

Outside in the corridor Meelo pressed his ear against the door.  
"I can't hear anything!" He complained and Ikki shushed him. She was certain she'd heard Korra swear a minute ago. If only the wood wasn't so thick...  
"Hey!" Pema rounded the corner, catching them in the act. Ikki and Meelo exchanged glances.  
"Uh oh."  
"Race you to the other side of the island?"  
"Good idea!"  
They took off on air scooters, pretending not to hear their mother behind them.

Korra's patience was running out. There were a lot of words being said but nothing actually being settled. Tonraq and the Grand Lotus had been in an increasingly loud argument for the last twenty minutes and it was drowning out any useful contributions from the rest of the Order. Korra could feel the headache brewing as she pinched the bridge of her nose. _If this is how Tenzin felt training me I can never apologise enough...oh screw this!  
_ "ENOUGH!" She yelled. Everyone stopped talking. "That's better. Here's what we're going to do..."  
"What gives you the right..." The Grand Lotus began and Korra's fist slammed onto the table hard enough to make the desk shake and the laptop jump.  
"Ravaa. Ravaa gives me the right. I am a fucking fully realised Avatar, and it's time you and the other Grand Lotuses accepted that. Your job is to protect me and the world, not rule me." She took a calming breath. "We're not running. We're not hiding. We're not taking one step back, you understand? Amon has fallen. The Equalist reigns are over in all the nations. This...splinter faction, whatever it is, clearly has wealth and manpower. _So do we_. It's time we turned the tables and went looking for them."  
"I still think..."  
"We're not burying our heads like ostrich-horses. Either we start trying to take the fight to them or...or we take it public. I'll out myself on national TV before I go into hiding."

The threat hung in the air. Nobody had any doubt the Avatar meant it, no matter the risks.  
"Perhaps a vote?" Tenzin suggested.

The headache was still there afterwards, despite the overwhelming agreement with Korra's plan. She headed to the kitchen, standing on tiptoe to retrieve painkillers from the top shelf of the cupboard. She fetched a glass of water and then a can of beer, slumping at the kitchen table. She didn't hear the approaching footsteps over herself gulping water, so when the hand touched her shoulder she jumped.  
"Whoa there!" Kya chuckled, and then saw Korra's grimace. "Oh man, not another headache?"  
Korra just scowled.  
"Did you get that prescription I gave you, or did you just..." Kya didn't bother to finish the question. "You didn't. Korra, if that's not how you want to deal with it, fine. I can try and find another solution. Until then will you let me try to help you out a bit? You put your body through hell on a semi weekly basis. It needs looking after if you want to outlast my dad. Give it some TLC every once in a while."  
"Still single, Kya."  
Kya laughed again. "TLC, Korra. Tender, loving care. Not just tender loving, although I'd suggest you getting as much of _that_ as you can too."  
Korra groaned.

Kya didn't seem to understand basic human body language, leaning against the kitchen counter with her own drink as Korra steadfastly ignored her. Eventually Korra gave up, setting down the by now half-drunk beer.  
"Do your worst."

And that was how Korra ended up lying face down on the kitchen table with the oven gloves folded up as a makeshift pillow. Kya flexed her fingers and started the frankly marathon task of loosening the knots in Korra's neck and back.

Pema entered, a grumpy Ikki and Meelo in tow. Pema didn't even bat an eyelash. She ruffled Korra's hair on the way past to start preparing dinner. Ikki dug a straw out, slipping it into Korra's beer. Korra turned her head, managing to catch the end of the straw between her teeth. She gave a contented little sigh as she took a slurp.

Tenzin entered the kitchen to find his children quite literally shredding vegetables, his ward lying on the table and his sister sticking her elbow into his ward's back.

After dinner Korra joined Kya down at the pagoda near the water's edge for a moonlight beer away from Meelo's antics.  
"You know what you need, kid?" Kya said, leaning against the rail.  
"If you say 'to get laid'..." Korra began, but Kya shook her head.  
"Someone outside all this," She gave an indistinct wave at the island. "People you can go be a stupid dumbshit twenty year old with and not have to worry about the fate of the planet. I mean, wasn't that half the point of you going to university? To blend, to have a little normality?"  
"'spose." Korra looked across at Yue Bay, glittering in the moonlight. Kya nudged her.  
"Getting laid would probably help as well."  
" _Kya!_ "

The beeping from her phone made Asami jump and hit her head on the underside of the car. She groaned, rolling herself out from underneath on the creeper board. She'd left her phone up on the workbench, out of harm's way. Going on the throb from her forehead that hadn't really panned out quite as she'd hoped. Asami headed for the bench, stepping round tools and discarded parts, wiping the worst of the oil and grease off on her overalls. The first thing she saw on the phone was the time. _Oops_. Tomorrow morning...or this morning...was going to need an awful lot of coffee. Ah well. _Dad's probably wondering if I'm coming in tonight or...hang on._ The name on the screen was certainly not 'Dad'. It was probably supposed to have been 'Korra' but actually read 'Korrras'.  
 _"Hey, sami! We're heading to the Giggling Squid after class tomorrow, and you're more than welcome to come!"  
_ The phone buzzed again.  
 _"Uh, sorry if you were sleeping and this woke you up. My sleep scehdule's a little erratic."_ As was her spelling, apparently. The phone went off again.  
 _"And if you were I should really stop texting."  
"Ah, crap, sorry."  
"...repeat until dead, apparently. I'm just going to dig a hole and hide in it real quick."  
_Asami laughed. She typed a quick response.  
 _"You're adorable when you're flustered."_  
She hit send. _Wait, adorable?_ She followed up hastily.  
 _"Don't worry, you didn't wake me. And I'd love to get a drink tomorrow."_

* * *

Feedback helps me write faster!


	5. Chapter 5

The Giggling Squid was an underground cocktail bar not far from the city centre. Asami took off her jacket as she entered, scanning the room for familiar faces. She found Bolin, waving enthusiastically from a booth. Both he and Opal were wearing green; she was wearing a dark emerald strappy top, showing off her slender shoulders, and he was wearing an olive button up shirt. Asami slid in opposite them, adding a splash of red to the table.  
"Korra got held up," Opal explained. "She'll be here soon as she can."  
She said it casually but Asami frowned. This was Korra, after all.  
"When you say held up, are we talking delayed or mugged here?"  
Opal smiled.  
"Just delayed."

Korra lowered the man back to his feet gently, resisting the urge to toss him into the nearest wall. He darted off into the dark, leaving the Avatar alone in the alleyway with her growing frustrations. It had been easy last time. Equalists walked around in broad daylight in their bloody masks and scarves. Finding them hadn't been the problem, avoiding them had been. Now she was stuck with turning over some very unsavoury rocks to try and sniff them out. Some rocks, like the one that had just scurried away, would doubtless leave her in desperate need of washing her hands but it was unavoidable. There had been at least five deaths in Ba Sing Se, and spirits only knew how many across the world. She'd let it happen. She'd let it start again. And she was damn well going to stop it again too. Korra's phone buzzed in her inside pocket. A message from Opal.  
 _"Are you coming or what?"  
_ Korra frowned at the device. Was she... _ah, crap._

She was at least a mile from the bar and already late. She shoved her earphones in, picking something fast-paced. Her phone buzzed again. _  
"Asami's asking after you. :P"  
_ Korra stared at the emoticon for a moment, trying to decipher exactly what Opal was implying. She shoved the phone back inside her jacket and hit play.

Republic City was a city in a perpetual hurry, meaning it was damn near impossible for any one individual to actually get anywhere fast, especially not if you were polite, cautious or just plain unwilling to lead with the shoulder. Korra was none of these things. She slalomed through the crowds and street sellers, she dived down the back alleys that seemed to exist purely for parents to warn their children against entering. She didn't break pace to cross the roads, darting through the screeching tyres and blaring horns, leaping clean over the bonnet of an irate taxi driver who seemed to think indicators were an optional extra, swinging round lampposts to speed up her cornering.

She made it to Giggling Squid in record time, pausing in the doorway to catch her breath. A pair of men in suits passed her, and she was suddenly very aware that her outfit of a tight blue t shirt and dark jeans might not have been quite in keeping with the Squid's normal dress code. She'd dressed for a two hundred seater lecture theatre she'd skulked at the back of, and a potential street fight. She'd forgotten all about her 'forget about reality' evening this morning. Maybe she had time to change... She got another text; _"If you're not near in ten I'm telling her about what happened with the cactus juice in the desert last summer."  
_ Oh _hell_ no.

Opal looked up from her phone in time to see Korra vault the back of the sofa, landing between a very surprised Asami and the wall. She pointed a warning finger at Opal.  
"If you ever breathe a word about that I'll tell everyone about the hogmonkey and the hot spring."  
Opal sized up Korra, trying to see if she was bluffing. Korra's stare was steel. Opal backed down. It wasn't worth the risk. Asami looked slightly disappointed at the truce, but the night was young. She'd ask again a few drinks down the line.

Bolin slammed a fistful of yuans down on the sticky bar top and instantly regretted it, peeling them back off.  
"Hi." He beamed at the barmaid, trying to wipe the worst of the spillage off the notes surreptitiously. "Can I get...uh...a Kyoshi Island iced tea, a Polar Punch, a Chi Blocker and a..." he glanced down at the menu again "A Dancing Dragon, please?"  
He looked back to the table as the drinks were made. Asami was talking animatedly, but Bolin couldn't hear over the music and the buzz of dozens of conversations. Korra was leaning her chin on her hand, listening with an expression of acutely attentive befuddlement. Asami paused, apparently chuckling at her own joke. Korra just grinned awkwardly, miming the joke flying over her head.

Asami was still trying to explain when Bolin set her drink in front of her, trying to draw an exploded diagram of an engine on a napkin with a sharpie. It wasn't going well; the sketch would have been complicated enough even without the ink bleeding into the paper. Korra was trying valiantly to follow. Opal was watching the proceedings with an amused expression.  
"...and _that's_ where the gearhead goes! Get it?" Asami finished triumphantly, looking up to a trio of blank faces. "Still nothing, huh?"  
Korra looked sheepish.  
"Sorry. Machines aren't really my thing; I've never even had a snowmobile, never mind a car. Opal's got no excuse though!"  
Opal scowled.  
"My brother is the engineer, not me. You don't expect me to be able to understand Huan's work, why would I get what Bataar does?"  
"Oh?" Asami turned to Opal, her interest piqued. "What does he do? Who does he work for?"  
Opal blushed and mumbled something. Bolin nudged her and Opal repeated herself a little louder.  
"Metal Clan International. My dad sort of...owns it."  
"Metal Clan?" Asami was impressed. "Wait. Metal Clan? As in..." She stopped.  
"As in Beifong, yes," Opal supplied, a little wearily. "Suyin is my mother. Don't even start."  
"Hey, trust me. I get the whole 'living up to the predecessor thing'." Asami raised her glass. "To being the legacy kids?" She suggested. Opal laughed and bumped her glass against it. Asami didn't see the smirk Bolin gave Korra, or the answering middle finger.

The drinks slipped down entirely too easily, as is always the case with cocktails. They traded sips, comparing drinks with great enthusiasm, working their way through the extensive menu. Korra leant back against the wall, with its encircling painting of the eponymous giggling squid painted on white on the black walls. Asami looked fantastic tonight, in her dark red silk shirt and tight black jeans. Korra missed her mouth with her glass, sloshing rum down her chin. She set it down and wiped her mouth hastily.  
"Drinking problem?" Asami asked, with a grin. Korra didn't dare make eye contact with Opal. She could _feel_ the smirk.

Asami and Korra were getting a round in when Asami glanced over her shoulder and swore, turning quickly back to the bar and hunching a little, as if that would somehow make her less distinctive among the crowd of office workers in their suits. Korra turned to see what the problem was. A loose knot of people were descending the stairs into the increasingly crowded bar.  
"You ok?" Korra asked, already sizing up the newcomers. Two guys, two girls. None of them looked more than they could handle.  
"My ex." Asami explained, taking the drinks. "Someone I'd really rather not deal with today."  
Korra took the other two glasses.  
"C'mon. We can hide in the booth."

A quick check as they reached the table proved their efforts were in vain. The four were heading their way.  
"Damn, damn, damn!" Asami cursed. "Never got the hint when we together either. Sorry guys, I'm really just..."  
"Hey Asami," Korra cut in. "breathe, yeah?" She stood in front of Asami, hands on her shoulders. Asami looked down at her. Neither of them saw Opal get up and walk up behind Asami. "Relax." Korra said gently. "It's not like-FUCK!"  
Opal had shoved Asami hard in the small of the back, sending her toppling onto Korra who grabbed her rather than attempting to stay upright herself, collapsing back onto the bench seat and taking Asami with her.  
"There." Opal said, with a self-satisfied smirk, as Korra managed to push them back into an approximation of a sitting position with one arm, the other supporting Asami. Supporting Asami who was now very much on top of her. "Instant ex repellent."

Asami looked down at the woman pinned beneath her who seemed to be slightly stunned, and it wasn't from contact with the seat.  
"Do you mind?" She asked quickly, and Korra shook her head dumbly. Asami sat herself a little more comfortably in Korra's lap, leaning forward to rest her forehead against Korra's, angling her head so that their faces were obscured by a mane of raven hair.  
"I'm sorry about this," she whispered.  
"It's..." Korra swallowed. "It's fine. What are friends for, hey?"  
One of Asami's slid up from Korra's shoulder to cup her cheek. All the more convincing for their audience, of course.  
"What indeed?"

Asami's eyes were extraordinarily green. Korra wasn't quite sure why she hadn't noticed until now but they weren't even six inches from her own right now and it was very hard not to see just how green they were. Huan would have cried in artistic delight at the colour. The eyes narrowed a little as Asami's fingertip found the small scar near Korra's temple, hidden in her hairline. She traced it with a delicate finger, an immaculately painted nail. _Immaculate_. Yes, that was the right word for Asami. Smooth and polished, like Korra assumed newly made machines must be. _It must be nice, to be like that..._  
"Asami?" came a voice, breaking through Korra's reverie.  
" _Un-fucking-believable_ ," Asami swore in an incredulous whisper, her breath warm on Korra's cheek. She sat up, pulling away. "Tam!" Asami actually managed to sound happy to see them. To see...Korra blinked. Asami actually sounded happy to see _her_. Huh.

Tam was slender, her figure accentuated by a well-cut business suit, short hair immaculately styled. It was easy to see the attraction.  
"It's been a while, Sato," Tam smiled, as if Asami wasn't currently sat in someone else's lap.  
"Has it?" Asami asked politely, and Tam's smile slipped a few teeth.

The two exchanged small talk. At a slight touch and pleading look from Asami Korra found her nerve and wrapped one arm round her waist.  
"Hi there." She cut in. "I'm Korra."  
Tam looked her up and down. Her eyes weren't as green as Asami's. _Now why had she thought to compare that?_  
"Water Tribe girl, huh?"  
"What gave me away?" Korra deadpanned. Opal giggled. It might have been the cocktails laughing for her.  
"I spent a lot of time down in the South Pole." Tam announced, with a fake casual air. "After the war. My firm helped with the peace treaty."  
The giggling just got louder. And spread. Asami smiled along with it, a little bemused but trying not to show it.  
"I'm sure Chief Tonraq was most grateful for your efforts," Korra managed, straining valiantly to keep her poker face in place. She was failing, but it was the thought that counted. Except it really, really wasn't. Tam finally seemed to get that her proclamation wasn't being as well received as she'd thought. Or perhaps it was Asami's fingers interlocking with Korra's that got the message across at last. She made an excuse about her friends having got drinks and attempted to make a dignified exit. Unfortunately dignity was always in short supply when the group was out and about.

"So...what exactly was so funny about Tam and the tribe war?" Asami asked, and she felt Korra tense slightly.  
"Some other night," Korra promised, a deflection that, while telling Asami nothing at all, told her entirely too much. Asami didn't press the issue, just settled herself a little less possessively and a lot more comfortably on Korra's lap.

Opal glanced over her shoulder to the table, where Asami was absentmindedly toying with Korra's fingers. Bolin was chatting to them, apparently as oblivious as Asami to the fact she didn't need to be sat on Korra's knee any longer.

"Good to see you guys again," The barmaid set the row of drinks down in front of Opal. "I was almost starting to worry."  
She passed her hand over Korra's Everstorm, sending the mixture inside swirling together.  
"Don't worry, Kamma," Opal handed over the cash. "We'll be messing up your bar for a good while yet."  
The barmaid smiled. She tried to hand back the change, but Opal waved it away. She dropped it in the tip jar instead.  
"Fair warning. You've got ten, then it's coming on."  
Opal paled.  
"Oh you're kidding..."  
"Nope. So drink up!"  
Opal all but sprinted for the table.

Ten minutes and forty eight seconds later the music spiked in volume. Guitars and pipes, folk rock at its best, or worst. Bolin caught the tune at once, an earsplitting grin forming on his face. Asami's foot was bouncing to the beat by the third bar.  
" _I'm a sailor pegged!"_ The patrons roared as one, " _And I've lost my leg! Climbing up the topsails, I've lost my leg!"*_  
Bolin was already pulling Opal out of the booth, joining in the broiling mass of clumsy amateur jiggers.  
" _I'm shipping up to Zaofu, whoa-oh-oh!"_ The bar sang. Asami looked down at Korra's hand, drumming out the beat on the table top, and got to her feet, taking her hand and leading her out of the booth.

Asami didn't know the song. It didn't matter. The beat was simple, the tune catchy, the words limited to little more than " _I'm shipping up to Zaofu!"_ , and all she had to do was follow Bolin's exuberant lead which mainly consisted of hanging on to Opal's hands as they part jigged, part galloped, part span and part stumbled round the bar, bouncing off good natured drinkers.  
"I'm shipping up to Zaofu, whoa-oh-oh!" Asami sang as Korra crashed against her, laughing as she did. The song was over far too soon, but they were on their feet now. It was Bolin who once again took the lead, clambering atop a bar stool as he recognised the intro to the next song. He pointed down at Opal on the floor below him, snapping to the beat with his free hand.  
" _Oh my love, let me be your fire, we're a thousand miles up and I'm 'bout to get higher! Feel my heart beating out my chest, you're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed!"**  
_ Opal climbed up onto the nearest stool, turning Bolin's little solo into a duet. They weren't the only ones. The crowd had the chorus; " _Singing Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh!_ "

Kama caught Korra's eye, and patted the bar top meaningfully. Korra was only too happy to. Asami looked up at her, half impressed, half disbelieving. Korra struck a pose on the bar top, leaning over to mime a serenade.  
" _Rest your head like it was made of stone. Next to mine, darling, lay your bones. I hold you closer, let me show-oh-oh-oh..."_ Korra held out a hand. Asami didn't hesitate. She grabbed it, feeling calluses, feeling strength, and Korra pulled her up beside her without any apparent effort. They tried for an awkward shuffle on the narrow ledge, between glasses and pots of straws and lime wedges. The three benders shared a glance as they hit the next verse. " _We'll shape this world like it was meant to be. Made of clay, for only you & me. Awake with you is better than a dream. Better than a dream, hey!"_

Bolin stepped precariously from stool to stool, Opal following to join the other tow on the bar. Bolin steadied himself against the ceiling. _"Oh, my love, let me be your fire! We're a thousand miles up and 'bout to get higher! Feel my heart beating out my chest, You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed!"_ He raised his hands, as if he were actually a performer, and the amused crowd sang back. _"Singing Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh!"_

Asami stumbled a little on a wet patch, and Korra caught her about the waist once more. Asami moved closer, her hands on Korra's shoulders. " _Safe and sound is all you'll ever know. Shake the ground the higher that we'll go. We'll take the stars and show 'em how to glow! Yeah, cause life is more than just a waiting game. We're not waiting 'til it's time to play. The only rules I play by are you, Play by you! Oh, my love, let me be your fire! We're a thousand miles up and 'bout to get higher. Feel my heart beating out my chest, you're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed! Singing Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh! Oh ooh oh ooh!"_  
They were basically flush against each other by now.  
" _I won't be afraid, if my spirit fades. 'Cause when I see your face I know that I am saved! I won't be afraid, if my spirit fades. 'Cause when I see your face, I'll say,"_ Korra was getting rather carried away, spinning Asami round on the bar.  
" _You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed! You're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed! You make me feel blessed, you make me feel blessed, you're the only prayer I need to make me feel blessed!"_  
The music stopped. Korra was breathing hard and Asami was no better.  
"You want to get down?" Korra asked, and Asami shook her head.  
"Don't you dare."  
Korra grinned.

They cavorted on the bar top, in a haze of cocktails and music and cheers and youth. At one point Kamma tapped Korra's shin, passing her and Asami up a drink each. On the house, of course. They drank, they stumbled, they sang, they linked arms and serenaded the group of office workers who had climbed onto their tall tables and stools in answer to them. Korra almost didn't see Tam watching them from the edge of the bar. Kamma had already spotted her though. She tugged at the Avatar's trouser leg again, and Korra leant down.  
"Stick the landing," Kamma told her, "And it'll be worth it."  
Korra was never one to turn down a challenge.

The familiar opening chords of Sixth Chakra Blind*** boomed out. Korra didn't look at her companions. They knew what was going to happen.  
" _All I want right now is the time, where we slept on the floor."_ She pointed at Asami and Asami pointed right back. " _You said, "Right here, right now, is all that we're living for. I got the velocity, and all I need now is the mass. I just want you to ask._ " Korra resisted the urge to lock eyes with Tam. " ** _Can you take me?_** _Into days I never knew? Let's start a riot, let's start a riot, me and you, 'cause a riot's overdue!"_  
Bolin jumped down from the bar. The laminate was slick with spilled drink and condensation and his feet slid out from under him, landing him on his ass.

 _"Now these days I wonder, why we're holding back on bliss. You blast from me everything you see..."_ Korra's voice faltered. Asami's did not. " _I just wanna give you a kiss. I want the infidel's head on a pike. Riding on my motorbike. Oh, you and me are alike."  
_ Opal leapt down with rather more grace, pulling Bolin to his feet and planting one on him.  
 _"Can you take me? Into days I never knew? Let's start a riot, let's start a riot, me and you, 'cause a riot's overdue!"_

 _"Let's get it bigger and wider! I'm the mega collider! When I take you, into days I never knew! Let's start a riot, let's start a riot, me and you, 'cause a riot's overdue!"  
_ The tempo slowed a little. Korra lowered Asami back to the floor. She raised her hands, and the clap started. It looked like she was trying to psyche herself up for something. Or maybe she was just showboating.

 _"Bust you out, I've come to bust you out. I've come to bust you out, I've come. Live in doubt, no longer live in doubt. No longer live in doubt, no. Humbly now, oh yes humbly now,"_ Korra's grin was anything but humble. " _I ask for no resistance, oh, no resistance. Maybe now, oh, just maybe now, we can bridge the distance. 'Cause it's so, it's so big, big..."_

Korra jumped. No, Korra somersaulted. It was ridiculous. It was perfect. She landed with gymnastic precision on the slippery bar floor, arms raised in a perfect Y shape. The bar cheered, drowning out the next chorus as Kamma climbed up onto the recently vacated bar, a bottle in her hand.  
 _"Into days I never knew,"  
_ "Do you think she earned it?" Kamma bellowed, and the bar cheered in response. _  
"Let's start a riot (I want a riot), let's start a riot, me and you, 'cause a riot's overdue."  
_ Korra threw back her head and let Kamma pour the spirit in to her open mouth.  
 _"Don't back down, don't compromise. Don't close your eyes. Here it is, do or die, and you still believe the lie. You still believe the lie."_  
Korra sputtered and Kamma took the bottle away. The Avatar wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, throwing one arm around Asami's shoulders.  
 _"And the world is for the meek. And this mouse is gonna squeak."_ Korra paused, accepting a glass of water from Kamma, letting the last few lines go unsung as far as she was concerned. Asami just beamed at her, swaying with her.  
 _"I am dying to be freaked. Yes, I am dying to be freaked."_

They didn't get back up on the bar. It wasn't long before Kamma turned the lights on, and they stumbled up into the chill night air. Asami pulled her jacket round her with a shiver. Opal tucked in tight against Bolin. Korra didn't seem to mind the temperature as they started ambling slowly towards the bus stop. And then the heavens opened.

Asami hadn't planned to go home with them. She wasn't sure that had ever been decided. She'd just gone from trying to use her jacket as a makeshift umbrella for her and Korra (it hadn't been very effective; the pair of them had been soaked within minutes as they half ran, half splashed through the sodden streets chasing after a shrieking Bolin and a laughing Opal) to arriving on the doorstep of Opal's student halls.

The building, in the Yangchen borough, was one of the nicer student accommodations. Opal's flat had a shared kitchen and living area, bathroom, and six connected study bedrooms. Opal disappeared into hers, bringing back an armful of blankets and spare clothing as Bolin pulled the cushions off the armchairs and the back of the sofa to create two reasonably comfortable looking beds.

Korra came out of the bathroom still trying to dry off her hair. She really should have knocked before entering the common area. Asami had her back to her as she pulled the borrowed t-shirt over her head. Korra looked away from the pale expanse of Asami's back. She double checked Asami had finished changing before making a show of entering, fetching them both a glass of water from the kitchen before collapsing gratefully into her cushions, face first. She didn't even hear Asami climb into her own bed.

It was not Asami's style to complain. And really, she was fine. She was fine. It was just that this room was absolutely fucking freezing and her hair was still damp and the blankets Opal had so thoughtfully provided weren't enough. She was entirely too aware her circulation was on the shitty side, even when sober. She rubbed her upper arms, trying to get a little warmth, but it wasn't enough. Alcohol and need overrode politeness. She reached out an arm, shaking Korra's shoulder slightly. The other girl jolted awake at the slight touch, like she hadn't drunk half a liquor cabinet.  
"Wuzzgoinon?" Korra mumbled, trying to focus in the dark. "'sami? You ok? Not gonna puke..."  
"Heating." Asami said abruptly, then clarified. "Do you know how to work the heating in this place?"  
"It's all controlled centrally, sorry." Korra told her, and even in the dark she could see Asami's face fall. "Hey, it's ok."  
It really wasn't. Asami pulled the blanket tighter, wondering if it was too late to call a cab. She didn't even notice Korra moving about until she felt her own cushions move. She turned. Korra had pushed her bedding next to Asami's. She jabbed herself in the chest with a thumb.  
"Human hot water bottle," Korra announced proudly. "C'mere. Can't have you freezing cos of my stupid bar."  
Asami hesitated. But she was damp and cold and she could practically feel the heat radiating off Korra. She scooted a little closer, and found herself being pulled against the warm body, the blanket laid over both of them. Korra's hands rubbed briskly and entirely decently up and down the length of her back as Asami rested her head against a broad shoulder.  
"Thanks. Not just for this. Thanks for tonight. I had a great time."  
Korra yawned hugely.  
"What are friends for, right?"

* * *

Sorry again for the erratic update schedule. Any chance of a bit of feedback every once in a while? It's a little disheartening to upload a chapter and just get nothing. Love it, hate it, just let me know! Big thanks to the four of you who have commented so far.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys. Sorry it took so long for the update, I kinda forgot I was posting here as well. I'd really appreciate it if I could get just a little feedback because right now it just feels like I'm throwing this into the void and it's really disheartening to put something out there and just hear the internet equivalent of chirping crickets.

* * *

"Ssh!" Opal hissed.  
"Oh come on, they're dead to the world," Bolin replied, between the electronic click of fake shutters on his phone camera. "And this is just too freaking cute not to document!"  
"Post those photos anywhere, Bolin," Korra growled without opening her eyes. "And I will make you regret it in ways only I can."  
It was, at least at present, a hollow threat. Asami had moved in the night, trapping Korra beneath her. It wasn't that she couldn't have lifted the woman off her; it wouldn't have even been an effort, but Korra didn't want to wake her. Still, she'd quite like to get feeling back in her arm sometime soon.

Mercifully Asami started to stir before Korra had to worry about amputation. It was slow at first, until she realised just how much she'd snuggled against Korra. Then she snapped awake, pulling away so fast she fell off the other side of the cushions, taking the inadequate blankets with her. Korra grumbled as her skin was exposed to the open air. She was only wearing a t-shirt that had to have been bought for Bolin; dark green and bearing the message 'Zaofu Rocks!', and a pair of boxers with what turned out to be, on closer inspection, 'Thursday' written round the waistband. It hadn't been accurate last night and it wasn't much more accurate this morning. At least the day began with a T.

Korra sat up, her stretching accompanied by a loud series of pops from various joints. The kettle started to boil as Korra dragged herself upright. Opal was wearing an oversized hoody, almost certainly also Bolin's, over her pyjamas. Bolin appeared to have bucked the trend of wearing his clothes and had apparently tried to squeeze into something of Opal's. The effect was something like a veneer of white paint over his torso and the complete failure to cover both the last inch or two of his stomach and the very suspicious looking bruise on his neck. Asami was somehow managing to be the most put together of the lot, even in jogging bottoms and a crumpled t shirt. Somehow even most of her makeup had survived.

Asami cradled the cup of black tea while Korra and Bolin shovelled down Polar Puffs. The box had a cartoon polar bear dog in sunglasses on the outside and more sugar than a confectionary aisle inside. There was probably more nutritional content in the box itself and just looking at them made Opal's teeth ache. Unfortunately for Opal's dental wellbeing Bolin loved them, which meant there was always a box in the cupboard. Still, at least he had an equal appetite when it came to kale.

Lectures that afternoon were a nightmare. It was a drizzly and miserable day, and the three weren't feeling much better. Asami joined Opal and Korra near the back of the hall, joining in their shift-pattern slumber. One would write until their head started to nod, at which point the other was prodded sharply in the ribs and took over duties. With three they could all nap a little longer. It took a little while afterwards to thread it all together but it was a tried and tested method.

Asami had to dash off at the end of lectures, taking the whole stack of notes with the promise to type them up and email the pair copies. Apparently she had some work she'd been putting off, necessitating a trip to her father's office. Not long after Opal and Bolin made their excuses and sloped off for some 'them' time, which Korra suspected would involve adding to the still prominent bruise on Bolin's neck, but jokes aside she didn't mind. She had her own work to be getting on with.

Korra perched on top of the skyscraper, listening intently to her police scanner. It was raining again, but this time Korra was shielded from the elements. She had a raincoat, a shapeless black mac that would have comfortably fit her father, but diverting the rain around her was far more effective.

There was no shortage of trouble in a city like Republic City. The trouble was finding something she could help with. Something she could help with and not end up splashed all over the front page of the Republic City Times. Or, more likely, the rag that was the Daily Sun. She knew she should never have tackled that pile-up a few months back. The picture had been grainy and completely useless for identify her but Tenzin had been _furious_.

In the end Korra could have left the scanner at home. The explosion lit the night sky. She barely heard the details begin to filter through her earpiece. _Industrial district. Unexplained blast. Unknown casualties. All services on route._ Korra unzipped her coat, letting the wind catch it. Ok, maybe she shouldn't have watched so many superhero movers with Bolin. But she couldn't deny, as she leapt from the parapet, they did have some good ideas. _All services on route? You have_ _ **no**_ _idea._

It would have been easier with a glider, but there was no easy way to carry around a six foot pole without attracting attention. The makeshift coat-cape was clumsier by far and negotiating the buildings without blowing out windows had been a hard earned skill, but there was something truly glorious about soaring through the damp air and city smoke. No passerby, if they happened to look up, would be able to pick her out against the dark clouds. For just a moment she allowed herself to truly enjoy the feeling. Then it was pack to business.

Korrra landed heavily on the far side of the building. Emergency vehicles were screaming in on all sides, blue and red light painting the smoke. And there was so much smoke. The entire warehouse seemed to be ablaze, flames licking through the upper windows, smoke billowing out. She could feel the heat on her face even at this distance. Fire fighters were setting up a perimeter but Korra couldn't imagine a few hoses were going to do much good against the raging inferno. Her phone buzzed. 'Chief Hardass' had sent a message.  
 _"Assuming you've ignored my express instructions for the thousandth time there are thought to be around twenty people inside the Future Industries factory. Do what you can. Take no risks. Will pass on updates as they arrive."  
_ Korra tapped out a quick message.  
 _"Avatar on scene."_

Korra brought chunks out the wall to use as handholds, scrambling up to an already cracked window. She knew enough about blowback and structural damage not to risk tearing a hole in the wall, and that would have made things a little too obvious.

Entering the factory was like jumping into an oven. The air inside was thick with choking smoke. She formed a bubble of air around her head to let herself breathe, diverting the heat around herself so she didn't fry on the metal gantry.  
 _"Count puts it at 19. Do what you can and get out."_

Lin Beifong did not like being on the sidelines. She did not like it even a little bit. Unfortunately for her the fire fighters currently controlled the scene, and there was nothing she could do to help. Korra was somewhere inside, dragging workers to where the rescue crews could actually find them. Lin itched to get in there with her, but she was stuck. Useless. Well, save for one thing. Trying to look causal about it Lin stomped her foot, sending a pulse through the earth. She sent another text.  
 _"There's basement levels. I can't get a fix on anyone. 8 left inside. Structure compromised. Hurry."  
_ There was no reply.

Korra's boots were melting beneath her feet. She had a worker over each shoulder but without her arms her bending was restricted. The smoke was burning her eyes, her throat, scorching her lungs. Stopping wasn't an option. Her foot caught something and she toppled, landing on something that seared across her skin. She rolled clear, dragging the unconscious bodies after her, taking a moment to create an air pocket. Waiting wasn't an option. It wasn't. She just needed to breathe, that was all. She just needed to breathe. She didn't hear or feel the phone going off in her pocket, didn't see the message.  
 _"GET OUT!"_

Asami had left the office the second the call came in. She was now stood with her father at the tape, waiting anxiously for any news. Hiroshi had his phone to his ear, yelling at the poor soul on the other end about contacting families. Most of the employees had been pulled from the inferno, dragged burned, bewildered and coughing into the night by fire fighters, but there still two unaccounted for. The longer they waited the worse prospects looked. Even as she watched an urgent cry went up, the fire fighters sprinting out of the way as a segment of the wall sagged and collapsed. Hiroshi's arm came up as if to shield Asami from the debris and the flash of fire, but they were well out of range.

Something came tumbling out over the rubble. No, not something. Someone. Someones. They made it all of three steps clear before crumpling. Rescue workers were already running to them and Asami found herself squeezing her father's hand. It didn't look good.

If anyone had asked Lin would have hotly denied that she was panicking as she ran to the ambulances. She certainly would have denied it after she spotted Korra sat on the back step of the ambulance, oxygen mask and scowl firmly in place. She was barely recognisable, caked in soot and dirt and dust, the grime turning into a paste in the rain. Lin slowed to a walk, regaining her professional demeanour. She gave a brusque nod to the paramedic who was trying to shine a light in an uncooperative Korra's smoke-reddened eyes.  
"This is the one who dragged the last two out?" Lin tried to make it sound like a question. The paramedic nodded. "I'm going to need a quick word." He hesitated. "Police business, can't wait," she added firmly. The paramedic relented. Most would, in the scarred face of Chief Beifong.  
"Fine. You got two minutes." He turned to Korra. "Mask stays on though, you got it? And then we need to get you to hospital, get those burns fixed up."  
Lin's eyebrows drew together. She'd missed it at first glance. Most of Korra's right leg seemed to be charred, and by the way her coat was clinging to her it had melted. Lin just hoped it had only fused to clothing, not skin. Korra caught her gaze and shrugged sheepishly. The move made her flinch.

"I told you to get out!" Lin's was low. The paramedic had given them a little space, but they could easily be overheard. Korra pulled the mask off.  
"I got out, didn't I?" She replied, voice raspy. "I'll be fine. Had..." She tried to hide the cough. It didn't work. She forced the words out through gritted teeth. "Had worse."  
Lin took the wrist that held the oxygen mask and pressed it firmly against Korra's face. Her expression didn't change as the Avatar took a few shaky breaths. When she spoke again her voice was softer.  
"You know you can't go to hospital, right?"  
"I know." Korra sagged. "Can't risk being linked to anything. Can't get my face seen. I'll wait til we're a distance, then I'll jump."  
Lin nodded.  
"You did good, kid." She added, like it was an afterthought. Korra grinned and Lin rolled her eyes. "Go see Kya. The second you get to the island. Got it? If I find out you delayed I'll kick your..."  
Lin's radio squawked.  
" _Hey chief, Sato and Sato want to see their guys and they're not taking no for an answer, just ducked the tape._ "  
"Time to go." Korra sighed, pulling the mask back into place. Lin shouted something about breathing difficulties to the paramedic and he was at Korra's side at once, helping her into the back of the ambulance. Korra wouldn't be winning any Oscars any time soon but the medic was taking no chances. He climbed in, shutting one door. Lin stopped him. She could see Korra settling into the patient chair rather than the bed. Her pride demanded no less.  
"How is she?"  
"At a glance? Second to third degree burns, serious smoke inhalation. She'll probably feel like hell for the next few days but she'll live."  
Lin nodded, pretending to make a note of it.

The pain came when the adrenaline started to dip. Korra gritted her teeth, refusing the offer of painkillers. She couldn't afford the side effects, not right now. She could see the monitor report her spiking heart rate, and tried to ignore the paramedic's concerned advice. She pulled the mask away from her face.  
"Where are we?" She asked, in an overplayed wheeze.  
"Shu street. Not far now." He reassured her, guiding the mask back onto her face. _Not far? You have no idea._ Korra did feel rather bad as she undid her belt, calmly but firmly pushing the man into the opposite wall. She slid open the side door and leapt out into the road.

She mistimed the jump a little, the roll to absorb the impact coming to a premature end as she hit a lamp post. Ignoring the fact she'd now added a skinned elbow and protesting ribs to the shopping list of injuries she forced herself upright, darting down one alleyway and then the next, the shouts of the paramedic fading into the noise of the traffic. She paused, leaning against a wall as she hacked up a glob of blackened saliva. Yeah. She'd had better days.

Opal hadn't heard the phone ring over the show playing on her laptop. Or the door buzzer that her flatmate answered. The first she knew of the night's events was when someone hammered at her door. She paused the episode reluctantly, slipping out of Bolin's cuddle. "Alright, alright, keep your hair on! What's so damn important...fucking hell, Kor!"  
"Well that's just rude." Korra said, voice rough. She all but slid down the wall as her legs finally gave out, leaving a sooty smear on the magnolia paint. "Did you save me popcorn?"

It was lucky Opal had a car. It wasn't too hard for the pair of them to manhandle Korra down to it, sliding her into the back seat. Opal joined her in the back, creating a denser air pocket to make it easier on Korra's raw lungs as she filled them in on her night so far.  
"How about you guys?" She asked conversationally.  
"Watched another four-LEARN TO INDICATE YOU BASTARD!-episodes of the 100." Bolin said from the front seat.  
"Nice." Korra closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

It was a short drive to the harbour, and a short boat ride to the island itself. The main ferry had stopped running for the night, but the White Lotus motorboat ran at any hour At least, for passengers such as themselves. Bolin took the helm, the White Lotus waterbender doing his best to ease the burns. Judging by Korra's white knuckled grip on the boat seat he wasn't doing too good of a job of it.

Korra swore and Kya apologised once again. Korra was sat in Kya's healing tub, hunched forward as the healer tried to cut the coat and shirt, now fused into a single entity, off of her. Her feet and legs had already been freed, the soothing water a welcome relief. Anything was better than the burning; even the cold metal of the scissors against her back was an improvement. Kya was as gentle as she could be but every now and again the material tugged where it seared to Korra's back. Kya could see the tension building as Korra tried to tough it out. She set down the scissors, sending cooling pulses of water across the damaged skin. Korra relaxed a little, enough for Kya to pick up the scissors again.

"There we go, sweetheart." Kya tossed the last chunk of material onto the pile, taking in the angry splotches of burns across her patient's skin. "Lean back for me?"  
Korra was only too happy to lower herself into the water. It was a little awkward for her to float in the small tub but she managed it. The pool began to glow as Kya started the healing in earnest. Korra closed her eyes as the pain started to ebb away.

Her fingers and toes had wrinkled long before Kya was done. Her feet, shins and back were still raw and tender, but she no longer felt like a sausage that had fallen through the barbeque grill. She just wished her lungs would ease up.

Kya stuck her head round Korra's door on the way before she turned in. Naga was curled protectively at the foot of Korra's bed. Kya wasn't at all surprised to find that the polar bear dog wasn't the only watcher. Ikki was tucked up against Naga's flank with a blanket and Mr. Flopsy, her cuddly flying lemur. Meelo was lying on his back in the middle of the room, a giant snot bubble inflating and deflating with each breath. Jinora was tucked against the wall, still half awake. She gave Kya a sleepy nod. Korra's breathing was a little laboured, a little rough, but it wasn't too bad. Kya had no doubt that the overprotective clutch of siblings would fetch her in a heartbeat if that were to change.

The hollow shell of the factory was still smoking in places in the morning as Lin stalked through it, Mako gingerly picking his way through behind her. Something here stunk, and it wasn't the smoke. The preliminary reports were infuriating. The source of the ignition was somewhere near the centre, but there were no records of anything particularly flammable being stored there. Nor were there any signs of accelerant. Lin paused, kneeling by one of a thousand twisted and unrecognisable lumps of metal. Whole assembly lines had warped and melted in the heat of the blaze.  
"How many people were in the building last night?" She asked Mako. He consulted his notepad.  
"Thirty. Eleven made it out under their own steam, the remaining nineteen rescued. Five are still in hospital but expected to make full recoveries." He paused, expecting some kind of reaction from Lin. Bolin had filled him in about Korra's involvement, but the Chief had yet to mention it. He gave up waiting. "Short version, all bodies are accounted for. Why?"  
Lin beckoned him closer. She indicated the lump at her feet. Mako craned his head to get a better look. It was odd. If he squinted it looked almost like...  
"If everyone's accounted for, whose skull is this?"


	7. Chapter 7

Korra woke from a fractured night's sleep to pain and stifling heat. She shoved the surprisingly heavy blanket off of her, and instantly regretted it. Meelo yelped as he hit the floor.  
"Remind me to have the boundaries talk with you," Korra grumbled without malice. Her voice was rough, her throat dry and scratchy. No, not scratchy. Beyond scratchy. Clawed. _Duh, you got a chest full of smoke last night._ Korra swung her legs out of bed. Scorched feet protested as they took her weight but she got up anyway, stepping over Meelo who had already fallen asleep again. Breakfast was calling, even if she had to shuffle on bandaged feet to get there.

Korra lowered herself gingerly down next to Bolin, using his shoulder as a support. She was pouring herself a cup of tea to wet her tender throat when something like a stick poked her in the arm. She turned to see Bolin jabbing her with his chopsticks. He shook his head in mock seriousness, turning to other diners.  
"I'm sorry, ladies and gents, but the baked Avatar is totally overdone this morning."  
"Ha bloody ha." Korra shoved him. "Besides, I'm only baked when Kya...uh... _Anyway_ , morning! Ooh, steamed buns!"  
Korra focused on loading her plate, avoiding Tenzin's disapproving stare.

Kya had no idea why her brother's greeting was quite so frosty when she joined them for breakfast.

Opal checked her watch as the plates were cleared.  
"Damn. I gotta go or I'm going to be late to lectures."  
Korra made to rise as well but Opal stopped her.  
"Babe, don't take this the wrong way, but you smell like an incinerator, you sound like an eighty year old chain smoker and you look like streaky bacon. I'll tell them you're at home suffering through _another_ migraine."  
"Cheers, Ope."  
"Plus the missing eyebrow is kind of a giveaway," She added. Korra's hand came up, feeling frazzled skin.  
"Oh, for fuck's sake!"  
" _Korra!_ Language!"

Korra stripped off to her underwear, bandages and all, slipping into the tub with a groan and a splash.  
"What do you reckon, 'nother two sessions?" she asked Kya, idly creating whirlpools with her fingers as the older woman kicked Korra's abandoned trousers out of the way.  
"Three at least, assuming you don't want scarring."  
Korra made a face.  
"Got enough of that already, thanks."

Kya made her sit up, spreading one hand over the top of Korra's sternum, the other slightly lower on her back.  
"Breathe for me. Nice, deep breaths."  
Korra obliged.  
"Been coughing much?"  
Korra shook her head.  
"Liar. Jinora said you spent half last night hacking your lungs up."  
Korra scowled at this apparent betrayal.  
"Jinora takes after her dad too much. Always worrying. It was a couple of coughs, no big deal."  
Kya rolled her eyes.  
"The Avatar title, and all expectations with it, stops at the door, Korra. I'm not gonna laugh, not going to judge you, I just need to know exactly what's wrong. You're not helping either of us if you pretend."  
Korra looked down, a little ashamed. Kya splashed water in her face. "Oh, quit brooding. You forget, Zuko's a friend. I've seen professional brooding. Watching you is just plain embarrassing. I'll make something to soothe your throat when we're done here, ok?"

Asami dropped into the seat next to Opal five minutes into the lecture. She looked round Opal, obviously looking for Korra in the packed hall.  
"Migraine," Opal whispered and Asami winced in sympathy. "Traffic?"  
"I wish." Asami was looking a little less polished than usual. In fact she looked beyond tired, her makeup not quite concealing the bags under her eyes. "I spent all night in the hospital. Not like that!" She added belatedly as Opal looked alarmed. "There was a fire in one of our factories last night. I was checking in on the ones who got hurt. They're all going to make it, thank the spirits. And _then_ , after getting in at three fucking a.m., I had the police show up at nine because apparently the fire was suspicious."  
Opal slid her cup of coffee down the bench to Asami.  
"Splash of milk and way too much sugar."  
Asami took it gratefully, cradling the cup.  
"Opal, I think I love you."

Asami leaned a little closer as the lecturer struggled to open a link on the projector. It was physically painful to watch him copy and paste the hyperlink.  
"You want to hear something ridiculous?"  
"Aside from how this guy got a job?" Opal replied, as the lecturer somehow managed not to spot the clip was on mute and proceed to go back to the original link to re-copy it. The frustration in the room was palpable.  
"I think there was someone in the factory last night. Well, I _know_ there was someone in the factory last night, that's in the report, but I think it was a bender."Asami was too excited to notice Opal had frozen.

"H-how come?" Opal asked, just a beat too slow.  
"The workers. They all say the same. About the fire diverting round them, like it was being controlled."  
 _Damnit, Korra._  
"Did anyone get a good look at them?"  
"No." Asami said, disappointed. Opal breathed an internal sigh of relief. "Just that they were some huge bloke, ripped as fuck, and wearing something like a cape."  
"A cape." Opal repeated flatly.  
"A cape!" Asami all but clapped her hands in glee. "You know what this means?"  
"A cape."  
"Republic city has a bender superhero!"  
"A freaking _cape_?!"

"You know it probably wasn't a cape, right?" Opal said, once she'd got a handle on herself. "I mean, it was pissing it down last night. Probably just a coat or a poncho or something."  
"You've got no sense of adventure. As boring as the police, that's you." Asami mock-pouted. "How'd you explain the fire then?"  
"Simple. It didn't, they just thought it did. I mean, if they were a firebender surely they could have got everyone out without them getting burned?"  
"Maybe," Asami conceded. "Still, it would have to be one crazy son-of-a-bitch to run into a burning factory, firebending or not."  
 _You have no idea._

It was when they were in the slowly shuffling crowd out that Asami started to laugh.  
"Sorry. It's just, well, I know they said it was a guy and all but," She grinned. "Imagine if it was Korra!"  
"Imagine what was Korra?"  
"The mystery hero! I mean, suspicious absence the day after her heroics?"  
Opal forced a laugh.  
"That would be something. Sadly she's not hanging out in her secret lair right now. Most likely she's curled up in a little miserable ball with a pillow over her face."

Mako hated the ferry. He really did. Boats were just not his thing. So of course he lived on a sodding island only accessible by boat. All he wanted to do was curl into a miserable little ball in the bottom of the ship but that was unfortunately out of the question. He tried to focus on the horizon without his companion noticing what he was doing. No luck.  
"You better not be about to spew, kid," Lin hadn't even opened her eyes. Mako shook his head and regretted it.

Mako was the first off the ferry, leaning heavily against the rock of the cliffs. Lin strode off the gangplank with her usual expression of annoyance at the universe in general for interrupting her day. Despite her apparent irritation she didn't make immediately for the slope with the small knot of tourists, choosing to answer a few emails instead. When Mako had returned to his usual colour they made for the temple itself. The area they wanted was roped off, with a polite but firm sign declaring that the area beyond was closed to the public. They didn't break step as they hopped over the rope.

There was a knock on Kya's door. She paused in her work, letting the water fall back into the tub.  
"You ok like that?"  
Korra nodded. She could have been called a lot of things but body shy was not one of them.  
"Enter and face my wrath! Oh, hey Lin!"  
"Kya." Lin stepped inside, Mako following. He immediately went red and looked hastily at the wall. It wasn't that he was still hung up on Korra. Not at all. Their breakup had been the best possible thing for them as individuals, not to mention for their friendship. It was just still slightly distracting to see that much skin. That much toned muscle. Korra linked her fingers behind her head in an incredibly unhelpful movement.  
"You ok there, Mako?" Korra asked, her voice rawer than Mako had expected. The absence of her usual shit-eating-grin suggesting she really didn't see the potential issue in being all barely clothed, fully flexed and in the tub in front of her ex. Mako tried to loosen his collar surreptitiously. He was a detective, damn it. He could be an adult.  
"Fine, thanks. You?"  
"I'm well." _And there's the grin._ "Medium well, in fact."

Pleasantries aside they got down to business. It wasn't even close to the weirdest interview Mako had ever done. He pulled out the special notepad, the one he saved for cases like this. Cases that weren't to reach the official record. He perched on the edge of the bathtub.  
"Can we just go through what you did last night? What you saw?"  
"Fire, supercop." Korra rasped sarcastically. "I saw a lot of fire."  
Lin stepped forward.  
"This isn't the time to be a smartarse, kid." She growled. "Just answer the damn question and let us get on with our day."  
Korra sat up. Water sloshed over the end of the tub, nearly splashing Mako.  
"Are you going to tell me what it is you're looking for, or are you waiting to see if I incriminate myself? Because I thought, by now, we had at least a measure of trust here."  
"Listen here you little..."  
Kya didn't need to say anything. She just stood up straight, folding her arms. Lin stopped mid sentence. She heeded Kya's silent summons to the far corner.

"If you're going to keep interfering with my interview..." Lin tried to begin, but Kya's stare had steel Lin couldn't hope to bend.  
"Let's just get one thing settled before you go and get your cast-iron knickers in a twist, Chief."  
"I'm not playing around here, Kya!"  
" _Neither am I!"_ Kya hissed. Lin actually looked surprised. "Yeah. I get it. Despite the setting this is all formal police business. _But_ , despite the setting, this is my fucking hospital, get it? So, pretending we're all doing this by the book, I am telling you in my official capacity that I'm not afraid to throw you out if I think I need to, ok? If I was at work, if Korra was a stranger who was just my patient, I'd tell you the exact same thing."  
"She doesn't look that bad to me," Lin said, a little sceptical. Kya rolled her eyes.  
"Four hours in the tub last night. Another half before you got here and we've barely started. Throat and lungs are cooked to fuck, not that she'll admit it." She paused, setting it sink in. "Lin, I know we've got to fly under the radar but you really should have just sent her to hospital last night. Her shoes were melted onto her damn feet, for spirits' sake!"  
Lin looked guiltily over her shoulder. Mako was passing Korra a water bottle, the Avatar's hunched position revealing a large, livid burn on her upper back.  
"Duly noted."

Lin returned to the bath, leaving Kya to start working on the promised potion.  
"Ok, kid. You're right. Something's going on and I don't think it was you but I gotta hear it from you because I'm already breaking about a hundred laws for you and I would like some minor cover for my ass should this blow up in my face. So if you just try roll with it I'll try be less of an asshole. Sound fair?"  
Korra nodded.

Mako produced a slightly crumpled schematic of the factory and Korra guided them through her movements as best she could. Her recollections were a little hazy but that was to be expected. She could point, albeit roughly, to the places she'd found workers and the way she'd taken them out. They had to pause for her to re-wet her throat as her voice cracked.  
"Story checks out, Chief," Mako said, comparing his two notebooks.  
"Course it does," Korra said grumpily. "Now. What..." She paused, looking pained. It took her a moment to start again. "What the hell is it you had to make sure I didn't do?"  
The two cops exchanged a glance. Mako ran a hand through his hair.  
"In the factory. There, uh, there was a body. We found it this morning."  
Korra sagged back against the bath, staring up at Mako and Lin with horror in those innocent baby-blues.  
"I...I left someone?"

"We don't know that," Mako began in what he thought was a placating tone. He'd never been good at placating, and Korra was even worse at being placated.  
"But you _think_..."  
"We don't think anything at this point." Lin cut in. It wasn't clear if Korra had even heard her.  
"I could have...I should have...Where? Where were they?" Korra's voice was cracking badly, her jaw clenching as she tried to fight back the cough in her throat.  
"Korra..."  
" _Where were they?!"_ She snapped. Mako didn't even look to Lin. He just pointed. Korra's heart sank.  
"I was right there! I was..." Her reddening face contorted, fists clenching on the rim of the tub as she tried to suppress another choking cough. "I...I..."  
"Really need to stop talking." Kya crossed back to the tubside, kneeling down. She glanced up at the two police officers as she tried to ease Korra's breathing back into a more normal rhythm. Lin Beifong did not do contrite. She gave it her best shot all the same.  
"This is the part you throw us out, isn't it?"  
Kya didn't even have to nod.

"Well that was completely pointless," Mako announced, tucking his notebook back into his jacket pocket. Lin gave him a look. It was an art form to decode the meaning of her looks as so many of them were just different varieties of irritation but Mako had got to know most of them through constant exposure. This particular look screamed 'Just when I think you're beginning to get the hang of this you cock it up'. Mako wished it wasn't quite so familiar. "It wasn't?"  
"No, it wasn't."  
Mako knew from that tone he had until the ferry to work out exactly why not.

Opal gritted her teeth and wondered if airbender oaths of non-aggression included throwing a seven hundred page hardback at the moron who thought the library was the perfect place for an extended phone call about aspects of his personal life Opal really didn't want to know about. Self defence was allowed, surely defending her sanity was included in that? She glanced over to Asami who seemed equally fed up. The raven haired woman bent down, rummaging in her satchel, and pulled put what looked like a small remote. It only had one switch and one dial. She looked speculatively at the loud man across the room and adjusted the dial accordingly. There was a look of quiet triumph on her face as she flipped the switch. It didn't seem like anything happened. The student continued his conversation, though why he was bothering with a phone was beyond Opal; at that volume her mother could probably hear him in Zaofu, _"And she was like, all over me man! All over...bro, you there?"  
_ Asami's smile grew. The man lowered his phone from his ear, staring at the device. "Huh?"  
"Signal's pretty patchy in here," Asami said in a noncommittal voice, not looking up from her laptop. "Maybe you should try outside?"  
"I...uh, yeah." The man said uncertainly, lumbering out. Opal turned questioningly to Asami who just shrugged innocently.  
"Me? Build a portable mobile phone jammer? Perish the thought."

The high-five was the only noise to break the blessed silence that had fallen.

Korra was still in pyjamas when Opal found her, sprawled inelegantly on her bed on her laptop. She still looked like hell, not that Opal would have told her that to her face, but less hellish than she had the night before or even that morning. _In fact, going by the grin on her face..._ Opal scanned around the room and spotted the teacup sat in the chaos that was Korra's desk. _Ah._  
"Kya's special blend?" Opal asked, picking her way across the somewhat cluttered floor and dropping onto the bed beside Korra. "Got any spare?"  
"Sure. All you gotta do is get yourself barbequed first," Korra replied, putting her laptop to one side. Her throat sounded better too. Not good, but better. "I miss anything important?"  
"Hmm..." Opal paused in mock thought. "Two boring as hell lectures. Oh, and Asami thinks you're a superhero."  
"Oh yeah?" Korra replied, in a tone that was probably supposed to be casual. Opal hid her smirk.  
"Yeah. Although she also thinks you're a hench dude in a cape, so there's that."  
Korra scowled.  
"Also she was wondering if you wanted to meet up once you've got over your 'migraine'." Opal made air quotes round the word. "Apparently she had a _great_ time last time. Do I even want to know what you guys did in my kitchen?"  
"What? No!" Korra spluttered. "We didn't...we just...she was cold and I..." Korra caught Opal's grin. "Oh you little shit!"  
"You like her!"  
"Oh come on, I hardly know her!"  
"And? You like her!"  
"She's...nice." Korra said lamely. Opal rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah, Kor. She's really nice."

"You know something?" Korra said some time later, apropos of nothing. Opal paused the video. "I left someone. Last night. They burned to death, and I must have walked right past them."  
Opal didn't reply at once. She just shuffled a little closer.  
"Without you nineteen people would have died." She said gently, putting a reassuring hand on Korra's knee. "For all you know that guy could have been dead before you even got there. It's not your fault, Kor. Even you can't save everyone."  
Korra rested her head against Opal's skinny shoulder.  
"I think I needed to hear that." Korra admitted in a small voice. "Thanks, Ope."  
"Anytime, idiot." Opal moved her hand to put an arm round Korra's shoulders instead. "Now can I go back to teasing you about your crush?"  
"...I hate you."

* * *

Sorry for the delay! Feedback helps me write so if there was anything you loved or hated let me know.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to all those who reviewed! Have a slightly delayed Christmas present!

* * *

Korra hurled the ball overarm, adding a little airbending to it to actually give Naga a challenge. The great white beast hurtled after it. It didn't hurt to throw anymore; Kya had done her work well. She had a lecture in the afternoon she was actually going to attend. The burned eyebrow was barely even noticeable, and could be brushed off as a prank by Meelo. He had previous on that score, not that he'd make that mistake twice. An angry Avatar is a formidable foe, even for a self-proclaimed master fartbender.

Korra jolted as Naga's cold nose pressed against her shoulder. She took the ball, tossing it from hand to hand before throwing it even further than before, Naga chasing happily.  
"You need a distraction." Opal announced, dropping onto the step beside her.  
"You gonna throw a ball for me to chase?" Korra asked. Opal grinned. It made Korra more than a little nervous.  
"Oh, something like that."

It really wasn't Korra's fault, Asami would later insist. Repeatedly. Asami shouldn't have surprised Korra like that. 'Like that' being an unexpected hug from behind that had somehow been misinterpreted as an attack, resulting in Korra throwing Asami bodily over her shoulder. Thankfully there was no permanent damage to Asami or her possessions. Korra's pride was completely unsalvageable however.  
"You should see what happens if you push her in the pool," Opal snickered as Korra debated the merits of revealing earth bending just so she could make the ground swallow her whole. She decided against it. Just.

It might have been better if she had. Opal hid her face behind her laptop as Korra got into what might have been politely called a heated debate with the seminar leader who had made the near-fatal error of referring to the "pacification of the South". Asami tried to attract Opal's attention but it was pointless. All other eyes were on the increasingly loud exchange between Korra and the lecturer, historian's names and book titles being dropped like ten-tonne weights.  
"WERE YOU _THERE_?!" the man all but screamed, on his feet and leaning across the desk towards Korra. She met his mad-eyed glare with practised calm that belied the tightness in her jaw.  
"Were you?"

Things settled into an uneasy truce after that. Korra stayed silent, avoiding eye contact.

Korra was still fuming in the bar later. Bolin seemed to read the mood because he arrived with a drink in each hand, setting one down beside Korra's near empty glass.  
"Let's do something really, really stupid tonight," Opal suggested. "Like, um..."  
"I'm kinda broke," Bolin admitted. "And I'm not just taking money off you again. Still haven't paid you back for that laptop."  
"I keep telling you, you don't..."  
"I like to pay my debts," Bolin said flatly. Opal held up her hands, conceding defeat.  
"Put it on the bottom of the pile, ok Bo? Tuition comes first."  
"you know..." Asami said thoughtfully, "My dad threw a big party at the house the other week. We've got plenty of drink going spare."  
"Free beer _is_ my favourite kind," Bolin grinned. "Waddaya say, Ope? Kor?"  
"I'm in. Korra?"  
Korra dragged herself back to the present, necking the last of her first drink.  
"When am I not?"

They didn't hurry. Opal walked with Asami, Bolin and Korra having a quiet conversation a few yards behind.  
"Is she ok?" Asami asked awkwardly. "I don't want to force her out if she'd rather just go home or something."  
"Trust me, Asami. The last thing Korra needs right now is to go sit alone at home and stew. She'll have cooled off before we reach yours, don't worry."  
"I'm not worried about her bringing the mood down." Asami hastily clarified. Opal smiled.  
"I know. It's a shame, you know? That it took us this long to actually hang out?"  
"We'll just have to make up for lost time then, won't we?"

They made the long, long walk up from the front gate to Asami's place, liberated the cellar of an assortment of drinks that Asami assured them her father wouldn't miss and set themselves up in what was apparently Asami's space. It was big but still cosy, with enough big squashy sofas for them all to have one. They coupled up instead, setting out drinks and snacks on the coffee table.  
"My dad decided I needed my own place to have friends over," Asami explained. "Away from wherever he was working, or relaxing, or entertaining clients.  
"It's great," Korra said honestly, looking around. The only thing that stopped it being the perfect party venue would have been the sheer niceness of the place. "How come we've never been here before?" She added jokingly. Asami looked a little embarrassed.  
"With work and everything..." She began awkwardly, and Korra winced. Bolin mimed putting a foot in his mouth.

Asami insisted on ordering takeaway, and was even more insistent on paying. When the doorbell rang distantly Asami got up.  
"I'll be right back. Try not to burn the place down until I get back, ok?"  
"Sure. Um..." korra jiggled one foot. "Sorry, but Bo is taking forever. Is there another bathroom round here?"  
"No." Asami said, deadpan. "I live in fifty thousand square foot mansion, but there's only one toilet." She took pity on Korra. "Down the hall, turn left, second right."  
"Cheers."  
Korra dashed off.

 _Down the hall, turn left, on the right..._ Korra turned the door handle. The room certainly wasn't a bathroom. It looked like a study, going on the well organised desk against one wall. One wall was taken up with newspaper clippings, centred around a front page. " _Sato Tragedy"_ read the headline. The other wall had a map, bits of string linking it to articles. Something stirred as Korra studied it, but her bladder was giving her no time to stay and work out exactly what was so familiar. _Second right, genius_ , she remembered, shutting the door behind her.

When she emerged Asami was calling that the pizza was on the table and that she better hurry up before Bolin ate it all. It was a very real threat.

Korra was feeling extremely content on the journey back. They'd made plans for dinner later in the week, Opal overriding Bolin's quiet objections by reminding him that she owed him the next date, and that if he was ok with it they could consider the dinner the date. Or at least the start of it. Bolin was only too happy to accept. Korra was almost certain Asami had given her a look when the couple had made a joke about a double date. No, not a look. A Look. Capitalised. A Look that was raising Korra's hopes more than a little.

It was a shame the happiness didn't last more than five minutes onto the Island.

Meelo collided with Korra, air scooter dissipating.  
"Korra! You're in trouble!" He warned her.  
"Oh yeah?" Korra played along, setting him back on his feet.  
"Uh huh." He nodded. "Dad's on one of those super-secret calls, and aren't you supposed to be too?"  
Korra's stomach sank. She looked to Opal who just shrugged helplessly. Korra took off for Tenzin's study at top speed.

Korra all but knocked the door off its hinges. Tenzin looked up sharply, poised to scold, and then saw her face.  
"Who issued the summons?" She seethed, noting that the conversation had apparently just finished, the screen showing only the White Lotus image. "Who called it?"  
"Grand Lotus Xai Bau." Tenzin told her. "He informed us that you had replied that you were overburdened with school work and could not attend."  
"Let me guess." Korra scowled, dropping into the spare chair. "He then suggested that, given Republic City life was interfering with my ability to function as the Avatar, I should be pulled from uni? Maybe even sent back to the South?"  
Tenzin's silence was answer enough. Korra's scowl deepened.  
"Tenzin. This can't be allowed to keep happening. How am I supposed to deal with this new Equalist threat if I'm being hamstrung by the people who are supposed to protect me? Xai Bau's got enough disciples to make life difficult for me, if he wanted. The last thing we need right now is infighting."  
"I will address the, uh, non-order members at the earliest convenience." Tenzin assured her. "We will discuss what is to be down about a possible rogue faction within the White Lotus. With you," He added hurriedly. "We will, together, come up with a plan of action."

Korra checked her shirt in the wing mirror of a Satomobile, to the amusement of the driver. She'd picked one of her smarter ones, not that she owned much formalwear. It accentuated her arms and bust quite nicely.

It was a relief to be off the island. The White Lotus were annoying enough when she wasn't sizing them all up as potential thorns in her side. What she needed was a night completely divorced from them, and Avatar duties, and bending in general.

She found Asami at the restaurant bar. She patted the stool beside her invitingly and called to the bartender.  
"Sorry, would you please make that two?"

The drink was set in of her. Korra picked up the tumbler questioningly, took a sniff and found all her answers.  
"You like?" Asami smiled.  
"It smells like heaven." Korra said honestly.  
"For the price it bloody well should." Asami laughed. "That whisky is older than us both."  
"And what if I hadn't liked whisky?"  
"Well then." Asami pursed her lips in mock thought. "I'd have drank both and ordered you something more to your taste. But I think I have a pretty good read on you by now. Parts of you, at least," Asami amended.  
"You do seem to know exactly what I like," Korra admitted, taking a sip. It tasted even better than it smelled. "Spirits. Well, spirit at least. Geddit?"  
Asami rolled her eyes at the pun.

"You know, you're ruining me for other people, Sato. Pizza and fancy whisky? People are going to struggle to measure up to your lofty standards."  
"That _would_ be a shame." Asami said regretfully. "Though I've never understood why people, once they've found their yardstick, feel the need to keep looking."  
 _Is...is she actually flirting with me right now? Or is this just one of those things? Like, girls' school things? Where they're all just waaaay too comfortable around girls and it messes up the signals?_

"I like your shirt." Asami said, not helping Korra's internal debate at all. "It looks good on you."  
Korra swallowed the reply of ' _you should see how it looks on your floor'_ just in time _._  
"Thanks. You look...snazzy." She finished lamely. Asami raised one elegant eyebrow and Korra blushed. "I mean..."  
"I think I know what you meant. And thank you." Asami rested her chin on her hand. "The others are taking their time, aren't they?"  
Korra's heart sank. If Asami was already counting down to the other two's arrival it didn't bode well at all.  
"Bolin is generally late. Opal will probably be here any minute."  
"Shame. I was rather enjoying having you all to myself." Asami smiled. And Korra did her best not to punch the air.  
"Well we'll just have to make the most of the..."  
"Korra?"  
 _Dammit, Opal..._  
Korra swivelled on her stool. And promptly jumped to her feet.  
"Opal?"

Opal was swaying on her feet, looking pale and nauseous, with a vicious-looking black eye. Her knuckles were scuffed, her clothes ripped in places. Korra was at her side in an instant, putting a steadying arm around her.  
"Hey, hey what happened? Who did this?"  
"I...whoa..." Opal clung onto Korra a bit more tightly. "My head..."  
Asami was at Korra's elbow.  
"Should we call an ambulance?"  
"Let's get her sat down," Korra said firmly, looking around. "Somewhere quiet, without all these gawkers." She added loudly. Some of the other customers looked embarrassed. Some were still enjoying the show.  
The bartender cleared his throat.  
"You can use the breakroom. Here," He passed over a bag of ice. Korra was too preoccupied to thank him as she helped Opal up. Asami did it for her.

"Who was it, Opal?" Korra all but growled as she settled Opal in a beat-up armchair, holding a sphere of glowing water to her injury.  
"Triple Threats." Opal said. "I got the first four, but the fifth came out of nowhere."  
"I thought it was settled with the Threats already?"  
"Apparently not. Whatever Lin's looking into, they're scared Kor. And a scared gang is like a corned animal. They want a fly on the police department wall. They want..."  
"They want Mako back." Korra finished.

"They're not getting away with this." Korra promised. She could hear Asami's footsteps on the stairs and turned the water back to ice, pressing the bag against Opal's bruised eye. "Hold that there." She instructed, passing over control of it.  
"Korra, don't," Opal objected. She tried to stand but she was still feeling dizzy.  
"We had a deal." Korra said firmly.  
"If you're going..."  
"Don't even try and say you're coming too." Korra's tone brooked no argument. "You've got a concussion, Opal. You need to either go to a hospital or go see Kya, not get in a fight. Second Impact Syndrome, remember? If you get another hit to the head it could be really, _really_ bad. Kya or hospital. Your choice."  
"Korra..."  
"Hospital then."

Korra brushed past Asami on the stairs, to the taller girl's surprise.  
"Korra?"  
She didn't even look back.

Rage guided her footsteps, singing in her veins. Those bastards. Those utter, utter bastards. They'd had a _deal_. It was _over_. And this time she was going to make sure they held up their side of it.

Bolin sprinted past the bouncer, the barman and right up to the break room.  
"Opal! Opal, are you ok?"  
"I'm fine, Bo," Opal said, despite the obvious. "I'll be fine," She corrected herself. "Just some bumps and bruises. But you've got to go, ok?"  
"What? Why? Is this because I..."  
"Because Korra took off for the Ostrich Horse and Water." Opal told him. At the name of the pub his face fell. "No, Bo, don't. This isn't on you. This is on them, ok? But please, babe, go. Before someone gets killed."

"What's the Ostrich..."  
"Triple Threat HQ," Opal supplied, adjusting the rapidly melting icepack. Asami went pale. "They're who did this. Sending a message to Bolin."  
"What could Bolin possibly..."  
"Bo told you he was a street kid?" Opal reminded her. "Well, there was an in-between stage. Between that and where he is now. You see, one day a very nice man gave him and his brother a dry, warm place to sleep, and a hot meal. And all they had to do was stand on the corner and whistle if they saw someone coming. And then it was food, a bed and clothes, for two nights work. And so on."  
"They got mixed up with the Triple Threats?" Asami asked, her voice growing cold. Opal glared.  
"Don't. Don't you dare judge them for that. When the Threats took them in they didn't even have shoes on their feet and winter was coming. They would have died. They did what they had to, and they never hurt anyone. They were lookouts, ran rigged games, did the books for crying out loud!"  
Asami had the decency to look embarrassed.  
"I didn't realise you could retire from the gang life."  
"It's not easy to. But one day, thanks to a polar bear dog and a fire ferret, they found a way out. And now that same way is steaming towards their HQ and out for blood so we're not going to a hospital. We're calling Mako, Bolin's brother, and we're heading over there. You can help, or you can get out of my way."

"KORRA! KORRA!"  
Bolin made it across the road to the blaring of horns, finally catching up to the Avatar. He tried to get in front of her but she dodged round.  
"Don't even try and stop..."  
"I'm not here to stop you!"  
That actually did stop her.  
"When they came after me, that's one thing. But this? Opal?" Bolin was shaking with rage. "Who next, hmm? Jinora? Ikki, fuck, even Rohan? So no, I'm not stopping you doing anything. I'm here to end this. Once and for all."  
"Alright. Then let's do this."

"ID." The bouncer grunted. Korra looked him up and down. Six foot three, easily a hundred and twenty kilos.  
"You don't know who I am?"  
"Should I?" He sneered. Korra considered it.  
"Yes."  
She picked him up by the throat and belt and hurled him bodily through the open door. The high speed entrance did the job of silencing the otherwise rowdy pub. Korra walked in, completely unconcerned with the eyes on her.  
"I'm looking for Shin." She announced.  
"Try between the knee and the ankle," The barman told her. "And get out."  
"Now, now." Shady Shin appeared at the bar. "That's no way to talk to an old friend, Yanna. My usual, if you'd be so kind. And one for the lady."

They sat on opposing sides of Shin's table. Korra didn't touch the drink set in front of her.  
"Shady."  
"Glowstick." He acknowledged. "Something the matter? You don't usually grace us with your presence."  
"Cut the bullshit, Shin." Korra told him. "You set your thugs on Opal. We had a deal. I'm not a fan of people breaking deals with me."  
"My thugs?" Shin repeated sceptically. "Are you sure?"  
"When they pass on the message that 'Shin wants his boys back', I'm pretty sure. She's familiar with your crew. Now, if you're breaking your side of the deal, I might just break mine. And you know what that would mean for all of your boys and girls."

Korra had expected the cold metal to be pressed to the back of her head rather earlier in the conversation. Clearly she was getting somewhere.  
"You should thank me, Shady."  
"Should I now? Oh, Viper, put it away, you're embarrassing yourself." Shin said crossly. He didn't like being threatened overly much but he liked idiotic displays even less.  
"Yeah. Because now you know who it is that's been giving orders in your name, that's angling for the top job."  
"You want me to waste the bitch already, boss?" Viper asked. Shady shook his head, not looking at his lieutenant.  
"What the fuck do you mean? _I_ run the show here. Nobody else."  
Korra shrugged. The muzzle of the gun moved across her skull.  
"if that's so, ask for Viper's squad. His little band. Five men, isn't it?"

There was a flicker of uncertainty in Shin's eyes. Korra saw it.  
"Oh, so you _did_ suspect."  
"Boss, you're not listening to this..."  
"Shut it," Shin said, not looking up. "If I found who did it. If I made them regret it..."  
"Then maybe I walk out of here." Korra shrugged again. "Maybe I don't tear this place apart tonight. Hell, _maybe_ I don't even undo the massive favour I granted you."  
Shin paled.  
"I gave you back your bending." Korra hissed. "I can take it away again just as easily. That was the price! That was the deal! And will you fuck off with that stupid macho bullshit gun crap!" She snapped, clenching her fist. Behind her head the gun crushed in on itself like a can, Viper barely dropping it in time. Korra stood up.

"You all know who I am. What I am. You know what I can do. Come after them again, through anyone, and I will come after you with everything at my disposal."  
"Oh, fuck you!" Viper spat. "Fuck you, fuck the Avatar, fuck your sense of superiority. Fuck it all. I don't take orders from you. Or," And he turned to Shin. "Your little lapdog. I'm no slave. I didn't join this to be a fucking goody-goody. So fuck you, fuck your threats. You're nothing more than a jumped-up nightlight. Crawl away like a little bitch and maybe I won't hurt you. Like I did your friend."  
Korra appeared to consider this. There were two dozen gang members in here easily, doubtless more in the backrooms, all armed with bending, knives, bats, even firearms. Bolin was the hidden ace up her sleeve, waiting at the door as backup should the need arise but it wasn't like he could snap his fingers and be beside her.  
"Ok then."  
And then she hit Viper.

It had taken Asami and Opal a while to find a cab that would take them to the Ostrich Horse. When they arrived the driver fled so quickly he left tyre marks on the street. The sounds of a brawl could be heard from inside.  
"Do you think they're ok?" Asami asked, trying to peer through the frosted windows.  
"I think..."  
Opal was interrupted by the window shattering as a man was hurled through it. He landed heavily on the cobbles and lay there groaning. "I think they're probably..."  
The next body out was Korra. She landed elbow first on the first man and rolled smoothly to her feet. Her nose was bleeding freely and her shirt...Asami blinked. Yes, her shirt was just a little on fire. Korra patted it out nonchalantly, strolling back towards the door. She opened it, grabbed the wrist of the arm that tried to slice at her and slammed the door heavily on it until it dropped the knife. She kicked it across the pavement with a tinkle of metal. Then she pulled open the door and nutted the man behind it in the face, following with a knee to the gut. He dropped like a stone. Korra stepped over the prone from and back into the melee.  
"I think they're probably winning." Opal finished. Asami just stared at the maelstrom of chaos visible through the broken window.

The police arrived in a kalidescope of reds and blues and body armour, running in to arrest anyone still upright. Korra was dragged out by a tall man in a detective's suit. Asami realised at once that this had to be Bolin's brother.  
"Korra! Korra, calm the fuck down!" He was yelling, but Korra didn't seem to be able to hear him. He was practically carrying her and she was still straining like a dog on a lead. Mako shoved her against the wall a little roughly and she finally seemed to realise where she was. "It's over!"  
"For now, maybe."  
Korra's knuckles were a raw mess and her unchecked nosebleed hadn't stopped yet. Bolin was in a similar state. He and Opal now had his-and-hers matching black eyes.  
"What the actual fuck?" barked a voice. Asami tried to shrink into the shadows as Chief Beifong stepped out of her car.

Shin stepped forward.  
"A bit of rough and tumble got out of control. No harm done."  
The Chief stared at him. A bit more of the shattered window came loose, dropping onto the pavement. "Redecorating. That window made everything very gloomy inside."  
"Uh huh." Lin clearly did not believe a word of it. She walked up and down the Triad line, stopping at Korra. She examined one bloodied hand. "And the tooth lodged in here?"  
"Slipped." Korra lied. She dug it out. Asami gagged. "Whose was this? Oh, Viper. If I may?" She asked Mako. He nodded uncertainly. Korra approached the badly beaten gang member. "Put it in milk." She advised, holding out the tooth. "A good dentist should be able to glue it right back on."  
"Fuck you, glowstick." Viper spat a glob of bloody saliva in Korra's face. Shin sighed. And gave the slightest of nods.  
"You really shouldn't have done that." Korra said pleasantly. Viper looked around, as if to say 'What can you do now?'. Enough, as it turned out. "I'd be careful with this one," She warned the officer holding Viper. "He's got an illegal handgun in an ankle holster." Viper went white. "Oh, and he dropped another in the bar. What's the minimum sentence on that? Six years?" She gave Viper a smile, and returned to her place.

The fighters were released without charge, except for Viper. Aside from the gun they found they didn't have any proof; nobody was saying anything, leaving the cops with little option. Asami would have thought that was the end of it, until Chief Beifong pulled Korra to one side with a fistful of her shirt.

"What the hell are you playing at?" Lin growled, shoving Korra against the squad car. "Trying to get yourself killed?"  
"I had to."  
"The hell you did!"  
"Take a look at your niece, Lin. Then tell me what I did or didn't have to do."  
"If you dragged her into this mess..."  
"They went after her." Korra told her, and for all Lin's gruffness, for all her years on the force, she saw the flicker of fear. "Opal?"  
Opal came over reluctantly, Asami at her side. Lin saw the bruises at once. She let go of Korra.  
"I did what I had to." Korra repeated, and she didn't sound defiant this time. She sounded tired. "They want Mako back. Whatever line of investigation you're on, they're scared. They're fucking terrified."  
"You're telling me I put Opal in the crosshairs?"  
"No. I'm telling you that Triads are bastards. And that family looks out for each other."  
Lin scowled.  
"Mako!" She called. The man appeared at her side in a flash. "Run your brother and his idiot friends to A&E, then get back to the station and deal with Viper."  
"Yes, Chief."

There was a fight over who got the front seat. Opal won by finally being overcome by nausea from her concussion and throwing up onto the street. She sat in the front with a bucket, a present from Shady Shin, on her lap.  
"Sorry about dinner, Asami," She managed.

Asami opted to wait for them to be seen to. Opal was whisked away first.  
"If you want to leave..." Korra said, speaking for the first time in over an hour. "I mean, I get it. If we scared you."  
"Scared?" Asami repeated incredulously. "Korra I..." she looked down at Korra's torn knuckles. "It was scary." She admitted. "But I'm not scared. Not of you. Not of being around you. I like being around you. I less like watching from the sidelines as you fight fully grown men, but I like you guys."  
Korra tried to smile but it pulled uncomfortably at her split lip.  
"We like you too."

Korra's name was called for x-ray. Asami helped her up.  
"If there are any bars still open after we're done here I'm pretty sure I owe you a drink."

* * *

Good thing they're in a hospital; Korra might just faint when she realises she basically just asked Asami out. Reviews help me write better and faster so go on, tell me what you liked, tell me what you hated, tell me I can't spell for shit, just tell me something!


	9. Chapter 9

"I fucked up."  
"No, you didn't."Mako passed Korra a cup of tea, leaning on the pagoda rail. Korra gave him a look. "Well...it wasn't exactly an unqualified and total success," He acknowledged. "But Viper is facing illegal weapons charges so he's off the streets for now and Shin's cracking down on his boys. Mission accomplished."  
"Still. I shouldn't have brought Asami into it. Shouldn't have fucking charged in like that. If she'd seen..."  
"She didn't."  
Korra sighed.  
"Lin wants me to sever ties." She said, in a forced, flat voice. Mako studied her.  
"Did she say why?"  
Korra shrugged.  
"She's a distraction, a civilian, an unknown variable, Lin's jealous of her hair. Pick one."  
"Right."  
There was something in Mako's tone that had Korra raising an eyebrow but he didn't elaborate.  
"What does Kya think?"  
Korra snorted.  
"We all know what Kya thinks."

"Much as I've missed hanging out with you, I did want to pick your brains on a professional matter." Korra said, warming her tea between her hands until it was steaming again.  
"The Lotus?" Mako guessed, and Korra nodded. "Lin mentioned it. I'll keep my eyes and ears open." He huffed. "Fucking _fantastic_ time for them to be squabbling like five year olds fighting over a toy."  
"My thoughts exactly." Korra sighed, and added, "Any whispers reached your ears about the _actual_ enemy?"  
Mako just shook his head. He'd tapped all of his sources, snouts, informants and gossip merchants. If there were Equalists in the city then they were keeping a low profile. Korra had expected as much. The map they had found in Ba Sing Se had only been of the city and surrounding area. It gave no hint as to further bases. It was possible that Ba Sing Se had been a one off, that they'd managed to nip the threat in the bud. Except, as Korra was only too aware, they hadn't. They hadn't done anything. The base had been empty when they arrived. There had been no further activity there, and no trace of the missing benders they had taken. There had to be at least one more location. Korra's knuckles were itching, and it wasn't just from the healing cuts.  
"I almost miss the old Equalists." She confessed. "Sure, we were outnumbered. And hunted like rats. But at least you knew where and who the enemy was."

Korra did in fact know where and who the enemy was. He was the smug git running their seminars, the equalist-sympathising prick.

Her brain was still screaming when classes finished. She couldn't remember what excuse she made to head off solo. It didn't matter. She didn't know where she was going and that didn't matter either. She just went.

She couldn't remember when she started to run. It just happened and once it started she didn't want to stop, swerving between slow moving pedestrians and cars, arms pumping, heart pounding. She barrelled down an alley and barely registered the two lurkers. One stepped forward, the other held him back and gave a most emphatic shake of the head. Korra was laughing when she exited, breaking into a full sprint down the street. Running was good. With her heart hammering against her chest she knew she was alive.

There was a screech of brakes and the car mounted the pavement in front of her. She barely had time to clock Asami in the convertible's driving seat, yelling,  
"Get in!"  
Korra vaulted in and they took off to a blaring of horns. Asami twisted in her seat.  
"Are they still following?"  
"Are who?" Korra asked, bewildered and a little out of breath.  
"Are...you were running from someone?"  
"Uh..." Korra bit her lip but she couldn't hold back her laughter. "Oh man. Um. No."  
Asami hit the brakes so hard Korra's head nearly hit the dashboard.  
"You weren't?" She asked, going very red. "But...running?"  
"I like running," Korra said meekly. Asami groaned and covered her still reddening face with her hands.  
"I thought the triad was after you or something!" Asami moaned into her hands. "Oh spirits, kill me now."  
Korra failed to choke back another wave of giggles.  
"No. Just stretching my legs. Thanks for the uh, totally unneeded rescue?"  
"You're welcome." Asami was still the colour of a tomato.

"So. I like the car." Korra said, to break the silence.  
"Thanks. I built her. It." Asami corrected too late. Korra was mercifully distracted.  
"Built?" She repeated, impressed. "As in a kit car? Or..."  
"From the axles up." Asami supplied. "My own design. I'm more than a little smug about it."  
"As you should be."  
There was another lull in the conversation. This time Asami was the one to speak.  
"I was just heading home. I was just doing a road test, rebuilt part of the engine. I don't suppose, I mean, if you're busy running from your inner demons or I've made entirely too much of a tit out of myself for you to even look at without cracking up or whatever I totally..."  
Korra put her seatbelt on. Asami smiled, and pulled back out into the traffic.

Korra might not drive but she knew what a garage was. Or at least what a normal person would consider a garage. When Asami said garage she meant half industrial garage and half car showroom. Asami carefully drove the convertible onto a lift, hopping out. Korra followed suit. She could see Asami's lower half now, see the overalls knotted at her waist. She'd thought Asami had just been wearing a scruffy-for-her, so far smarter than half of Korra's wardrobe, tank top. Asami tied back her hair.  
"I just need to have a quick look under, if that's ok?"  
"Knock yourself out. Except please don't," Korra added quickly. "Seen enough of the hospital recently."  
"Urgh, you and me both," Asami grumbled, raising the car on the lift. "Still, the last of the guys is being discharged tomorrow. So that's something."  
"The guys...?"  
"Oh, the workers that got caught in the fire. One had some kind of issue with the skin grafts." Asami pulled the overalls on fully and lay back on the creeper board, wheeling under the car. There was some clanking and grunting and Asami reappeared with a scowl. She sat up, eyeing up Korra in a far more cold and analytical way than Korra would have liked.  
"I need to borrow your muscles."

Asami had a spare set of overalls. Unfortunately they were Asami-sized. The legs were entirely too long, the body entirely too short and narrow and Korra was pretty sure that one good flex would rip the sleeves right off. Still, she wasn't complaining. She scooted underneath on a board beside Asami, letting her guide her to the stubborn bolt in question.

The 'quick look' turned into two hours of things Korra completely did not understand but was more than happy to do. It was just so _simple_. Unscrew that. Lift that. Twist that. No Equalists, no benders, no pressure, nothing to worry about but engine grease and the fact that her and Asami kept bumping hands. And that wasn't a bad thing to worry about at all.

"I'm curious, Asami," Korra said after the work was finally deemed complete. "As to what on earth you would consider to be a long look."  
Asami shoved her, sending her rolling across the garage floor. Korra put her feet down and scooted back over.  
"Can't get rid of me so easily, Sato."  
"Darn," Asami deadpanned, pulling her gloves off. "I guess I'll have to shove harder next time."  
Korra folded her legs on top of the board.  
"Then again, I might need those muscles again. So maybe I should keep you close to hand."  
Korra struck a body building pose, flexing.  
"My muscles are at your command, Ms Sato!"  
Asami giggled.  
"What?" Korra said, a little self consciously.  
"Oh, it's nothing, it's just..." Asami wheeled a little closer. "You've got this little smudge of grease. Right here." She indicated her cheek. "And you just look kind of cute."  
"Cute?" Korra repeated, in a mock offended tone. "Cute? I'm fucking _adorable_!"  
"Then Adorable is a lucky guy."  
Asami had to laugh as Korra spluttered. "Come on. Let's get cleaned up, greasemonkey."

Korra pushed herself upright, following Asami to the bathroom.  
"Sorry, the mirror here got smashed. There was a slight...pneumatic malfunction..." Asami indicated the wooden board covering a hole in the otherwise brick wall. "So uh..." Asami gestured vaguely to Korra's face. Korra turned her cheek slightly.  
"Go for it."

"Adorable," Korra repeated scathingly, as Asami wiped the oil away gently. "Honestly. As if any guy would be called adorable."  
Asami rolled her eyes. And stopped mid roll as Korra finished; "A _girl_ , maybe."  
There was something almost defiant in Korra's eyes. Asami had frozen, had still virtually on Korra's cheek.

 _She didn't slap you. That's a good start._ Korra's thoughts were going a mile a minute. _Just wait. She can laugh it off. Or..._ Asami wet her lips.  
"I..."  
"Asami?" called a voice, and Korra could have screamed. Asami jumped backwards.  
"Yes, dad?"

Nobody should ever face the indignity of a first meeting in such spectacularly ill-fitting overalls. Especially not with one of the richest men in the world. It wasn't extravagant, but it was evident. The cut of his suit, the shine of his shoes, the gleam of his watch. Korra felt wrong footed from the off.

It didn't get much better at the dinner the Satos had insisted she stay for.

"I'm sorry about dad," Asami said as she drove Korra towards the docks. Korra shrugged. "He's just a little...direct?...in his sense of humour. Comes from surrounding yourself with people who'll laugh like their job depends on it no matter how bad the joke is because, as far as they're concerned, it might well. I hope it didn't, I mean, I had a great time."  
"Same. Don't worry. I've dealt with blunter than him."  
Amon, for instance, had never beaten around the bush. Unless you counted the brawl in the botanical gardens that resulted in Korra being quite literally beaten around a large shrub.  
"I'm glad. About the good time!" Asami clarified hastily. She parked the car.  
"Well, you know what they say. For a good time, call Asami Sato," Korra joked. They sat there for a moment. Asami looked set to speak but then the call went up.  
"Last ferry! Board now or not at all!"  
"Sounds like your ride is here." Asami said, instead of whatever she'd been about to say. Korra fought the desire to punch Asami's beautifully finished dashboard.  
"See you soon?"  
"You bet."  
Korra hopped out, eschewing the door. She'd just made it onto the ferry when she heard Asami shout;  
"Have fun with Adorable!"  
Korra shook her head and stuck a middle finger up in response.

"You're home late."  
Tenzin was sat at the kitchen table when Korra came in, reading a newspaper. "Pema saved you some supper. I assume you haven't eaten as you would certainly have called ahead if you'd known you were going to be back late," He added pointedly. "It's in the fridge."  
Korra retrieved it, sending a pulse of warmth through it. She had eaten, but that had never stopped her yet.  
"With Asami?" Tenzin asked, and Korra knew it wasn't a question.  
"That a crime now?"  
"No," Tenzin put down his paper. "Korra..."  
Korra knew that tone. She was not a fan of that tone.  
"I'm not spilling trade secrets, Tenzin. She's a friend. We don't talk benders. We don't talk history. We just...have fun."  
"Hiroshi Sato was an Equalist." Tenzin said bluntly. Korra put down her cutlery.  
"Equalist, or equalist?" Korra asked calmly. "Big E or small? Because signing up to the party was pretty much mandatory if you wanted to work in the old days, you know that."  
"He built weaponry for them."  
"And you served on Amon and Tarrlock's council!"  
Tenzin bristled.  
"That was completely different!"  
"And how do you know that?" Korra demanded. "How do you _know_ that? Or is that just what you have to tell yourself?"  
Tenzin took a breath.  
"I'm concerned, Korra. The world needs you. Any...distractions...could have major consequences."

Korra had to laugh. Otherwise she might have hit him.  
"Oh for the love of...Seriously? _Seriously_?" The humour vanished from her voice. "You're going to sit there and tell me that I should leave my heart out of the equation, be all cold logic, when you're Aang's kid?"  
It was a low blow and Korra knew it. She saw the look on Tenzin's face and pressed on. "Did they ever tell you about the Guru, or did they leave that out? You know, when your father jeopardised the fate of the world and lost his connection to Ravaa because he had a little kid's crush on Katara?"  
"That was..." Tenzin began hotly.  
"Different?" Korra guessed. "Yeah. For one, I'm an adult. And the world isn't in imminent danger of being burned into submission by an all-powerful army. _And_ I'm not giving anything up. I'm having a _friend_. Something you lot kept me from having for the first sixteen years of my life, so excuse me if I don't fancy cutting her out of my life!" Korra stood and left. Tenzin didn't follow. He just sat at the table with the gently steaming rice.

Korra was working up a really good fume when there was a knock at the door. She wrenched it open, causing Ikki to jump back in alarm.  
"um..." She looked a little scared. Korra sighed.  
"Sorry, Ikki. Long day."  
"I heard. In the kitchen. But that's not why I'm here. Jinora's all...ucky, and she said not to bother you," she took a breath, "cosyou'reallstressedatthemomentandstuffbutshelooksreally _icky_ andIthoughtmaybeyoucoulddoyourthingandmakeherfeelbetter?"  
Korra had no trouble understanding Ikki's machine-gun delivery these days. "Kya's at work," Ikki added, after a moment. "Otherwise I'd have got her, but she's not here so..."  
"I got it." Korra cut her off. Ikki still looked a little nervous. Korra ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, you did the right thing."

There was a gentle knock on the door. Jinora just groaned. The door opened.  
"And I thought Ikki was exaggerating when she said you looked 'icky'." Korra said matter-of-factly from the doorway.  
"I told her not to bother you." Jinora tried to sound disappointed rather than relieved.  
"She said that too. And yet here I am."  
"You don't have to, I know you're...I've got a hot water bottle..." She didn't sound like she believed her own mouth and Korra certainly wasn't swayed.  
"I can be replaced by a hot water bottle? Way to make a girl feel special."  
Jinora smiled despite herself.  
"Jinora, I'm here if you want."  
"...please?"  
Korra crossed over to the bed, pulling a chair up. Jinora looked pale, nauseous and miserable. The aforementioned hot water bottle was clutched tight to her abdomen. Korra took it gently from her, opening it and drawing out the water in a glowing sphere, warming it to the perfect temperature. Jinora uncurled from her foetal position gratefully and let Korra get to work.

"I think this is why people hate waterbenders," Jinora said after a few minutes, as Korra's careful pulses of water across her stomach began to finally ease the vicious cramping. "Getting out of stuff like this."  
"It's definitely a factor." Korra agreed, glancing up from her work. She was pleased to see Jinora looked more comfortable already, eyes closed rather than screwed up. "You know that I'm never going to not help you with this royal monthly bullshit, right? Even if me and your dad aren't on speaking terms I'm not going to take it out on you."  
"I didn't want to bother you."  
"I'd be much more bothered knowing you were having a shitty time of it," Korra told her firmly. "I'd far rather you interrupt my sulking than lay here in pain."

Korra kept working even after Jinora fell asleep at last.

Tenzin was in a foul mood the next morning. He had been merely a little grouchy until, while attempting to be the bigger person, he had gone to Korra's room to try and mend bridges and found it empty. He had stormed around the island, interrogating the White Lotus sentries, and found absolutely no sign of when she'd run off. Not that that meant anything given Korra's plethora of potential escape methods.

"She's with that Sato girl again, I just know it!" Tenzin complained to Pema at breakfast.  
"So what if she is?" Pema replied. "She's a kid, Tenzin. Let her be one, if only for a few hours a week."  
"You don't know the Satos," Tenzin said darkly.  
"Korra's not with Asami," Ikki corrected them.  
"Then where is she?" Tenzin asked, trying his best to keep his frustration out of his voice. "Drinking tea with Blueberry Spicehead?"  
"No," Ikki said, as if the idea was utterly ridiculous. "She's with Jinora."

Tenzin didn't dare look at the expression on Pema's face.

Tenzin opened the door a crack, spotting Jinora still fast asleep, which was a relief in itself. He opened the door. Korra was indeed there. She had slumped forward in her chair, her head resting on a mattress barely at the height of her knees, bent into a position that made Tenzin's back hurt just to look at. A no-longer-hot hot water bottle was sat by her chairleg, unstoppered. She must have fallen asleep before she dealt with it. Tenzin found the bung and pushed it into place, putting it on Jinora's chest of drawers. Korra muttered in her sleep, something unintelligible. Tenzin considered waking her but he decided against it. Better to let her sleep. She looked like she needed it. He removed the spare bedding from the top of the wardrobe, draping a blanket around Korra's shoulders, not that the girl ever really felt cold this far north of her homeland. He deftly manoeuvred the pillow under Korra's head with barely a mumble from the sleeping Avatar, bringing her spine into a slightly less eye watering shape. She looked younger in her sleep, without the weight of the world of her shoulders. Her scuffed knuckles looked almost incongruous, the split lip a mistake. Tenzin sighed. If he could have just let her be like that they could both be happy and not at each other's throats constantly. He didn't want to hurt her. He didn't want her to hate him. The problem was that, much as he valued their relationship, he would much rather have Korra alive to hate him.


	10. Chapter 10

"You chickenshit!" Opal laughed. Korra hung her head. "Aww, is Korra all shy now? All embarrassed? You're the motherfucking..." She scanned around the nearly empty lobby and dropped her voice just in case, " _Avatar,_ and you can't even kiss a girl? That's weak. That's really weak."  
"Bo, back me up here?"  
Bolin shook his head.  
"Sorry Kor. I'm sticking with the 'chickenshit'. You like her, she likes you. Quit dancing round and just do something already!"  
Korra huffed.  
"You guys suck, you know that?"  
"Oh, very much so." Bolin replied cheerfully.

 _Damn Tenzin. Damn Lin. Damn Mako._ The mantra repeated inside Korra's head as she vented her frustration on the heavy bag. Their words of warning were beginning to stick and Korra hated it. Asami was a good person, Korra knew it. _So why do I get this niggle now?_ _Why do I have doubts now?_

 _What if I'm wrong?_

Korra's hand caught the bag wrong and she swore. There was a noise of sympathy from behind her and she turned, finding Asami stood in the gym door.  
"I tried to say something but you were on a different planet," Asami apologised, approaching. "And after you threw me for saying hi the other day I didn't fancy my chances if I got in range."  
Korra couldn't really argue with that. Asami took Korra's bad hand, pulling off the glove. The hand beneath was still in less than top condition but the raw skin hadn't split again. For a bizarre second Korra wondered if Asami was about to kiss it better.  
"Are you even supposed to be hitting things yet?" Asami asked, taking in the old bruises and ugly scabbing. That was the problem with visible injuries; Kya couldn't heal them away without risking raising awkward questions.  
"Short answer, no," Korra replied. "Long answer, definitely not."  
Asami released Korra's hand.  
"Just had to hit something?"  
Korra shrugged, pulling off her other glove, turning to gather her stuff.

"Are you ok?" Asami asked and Korra paused. "It's just...since that...since you came up to mine. You've been a bit..."  
"I've just got a lot on my mind, Asami." Korra said shortly. "I haven't meant to be 'a bit' anything."  
"Anything I can help with?"  
The offer sounded completely sincere. Korra was glad Asami couldn't see her face.  
"Sorry, but no. This is just something I have to sort out for myself."  
Asami seemed to accept that.  
"Will sorting that out stop you coming to lunch? Only Opal's buying, sent me to find you."  
Korra looked at the hopeful expression and tried to formulate a more gentle but very definite refusal.  
"Of course not." Was what her mouth said. "Give me ten to shower though, otherwise I'll stink the place right out."

Korra headbutted the wall of the shower cubicle.  
"Chickenshit," she muttered to herself.

Opal's grin could only be described as "shit-eating". It didn't fade as much as a glimmer the entire meal, even in the face of Korra's dirty looks. It felt stupid. It felt ridiculous. She knew Asami, didn't she? But the last time Tenzin had warned her and she'd ignored him she'd ended up having to murder her uncle and nearly doomed the world to ten thousand years of darkness. After going through something like that Korra was rather more inclined to heed his warnings, no matter how cryptic. _Why did he even have to say anything? Couldn't I have just had this? Would that have really been so bad..._ Korra jolted back into reality, nearly dropping the cup of tea she'd been holding off the table for the last few minutes.  
"I...sorry, what?"  
Opal gave her a pointed look.  
"Asami was just saying about how she's got some boring corporate schmoozefest coming up that her dad's insisting on her going to."  
"Ok?"  
If Opal's stare got any more intense her eyes were in danger of falling out of their sockets. Korra felt something more was expected of her. "uh...that's nice?"  
Opal put her head in her hands.

"That was the perfect opportunity!" Opal complained afterwards, when Asami had left. Korra didn't have the energy to argue this time. Bolin nudged Opal and she finally let the matter drop with a quizzical look at the slump of Korra's shoulders.

Bolin caught Korra by the shoulder as she made to duck away from the couple's usually over-affectionate goodbyes.  
"Are you going to tell me?"  
"It's just stuff, Bo." Korra tried. Bolin didn't look convinced.  
"You know it doesn't have to be a potential apocalypse for me to help you, right? I mean, I know we've done more than our fair of that stuff, apocalypses are our speciality, but we're still friends when the world isn't ending." He paused. "Also if the world _is_ in peril I'd like a heads up so I don't have to do my essay."  
"I know. Really. It's just stuff." Korra insisted. "No potential doom. No giant evil kites. Just...stuff." Bolin still didn't look convinced. He pulled her into a hug that Korra tried not to seem too grateful for.  
"I'm always around for stuff, ok?"

The announcement in the afternoon's lectures did nothing to raise her mood. She'd known it was coming, at least in theory. It had been looming on the horizon like a storm, one more lump of 'stuff' to worry about, but the actual date had fallen fresh out of her mind. Stupid. Careless. Or maybe there were just too many days to remember now. The Scourging of the South. The New Dawn. Harmonic Convergence. So many days steeped in bad memories, and half of them weren't even her memories. Sometimes reincarnation really sucked.

 _Maybe I should get out of the city for a while,_ Korra mused as she brushed Naga down that evening. _Go home. See mum and dad, see real snow again_. _Just...get some distance. Some perspective. Huh, listen to me. Actually thinking things through. Tenzin would be so proud. Well, he would be if he didn't work out that I was doing it to dodge this stupid bullshit enforced trip. If I didn't just want to get out of this whole stinking city before they start the bloody commemorations properly._

Korra went for a wander. Her head was too full to stay still but she'd promised she'd be at dinner that evening so a trip down to the sea cave wasn't on the cards. The island was currently free from tourists which made things somewhat more bearable. There was nothing more annoying than some snap-happy moron clicking away when she was just trying to have a moment to herself. It wasn't even like she dressed like a monk so she'd never quite understood why they bothered taking pictures of what was clearly just a surly student. Of course, if they'd known exactly who and what they were taking photos of she might just have understood it.

She saw the little knot of four White Lotus guards in their formal robes, the cluster breaking up as she approached. The tall woman that passed her gave her a brusque nod and hurried off to do whatever it was that they insisted on doing all day that made them think she owed them something. It wasn't even as if she _wanted_ them buzzing about her all day like big blue flies. Or that Tenzin wanted them on the island. They drew attention even with their cover story; 'Guardians of the World's heritage' her second left buttock, which was precisely what the monks as a whole and Korra in particular didn't want. Unfortunately it was easier to bend platinum than to convince a Grand Lotus of anything that a Grand Lotus did not wish to believe. Korra was pretty sure she'd get Firelord Izumi to do the can-can on the head of the restored statue of Aang before she convinced the White Lotus to fade back into the shadows. At least Xai Bau was off the island now. That guy had always given her the creeps, staring at her like a wolf eyes an unguarded lamb. And if she had to hear one more bloody sermon about Guru Laghima she was going to scream. She'd rather hear Tenzin drone on and on about that guy who never ate again.

It would not have been unfair to see that there was no love lost between the White Lotus and the one they allegedly protected. Sixteen years of bad blood took a long time to wash out and neither Korra nor the Lotus were prepared to put any time into the metaphorical scrubbing.

"Wakey wakey!" came an obnoxiously cheery voice. Korra groaned and pulled the blanket over her head on principle. It didn't matter how glad she was to be free of the dream. "Aw, don't be like that! It's a lovely sunny day!"  
Korra saw the world brighten even through her closed lids as the curtains were pulled back. She wriggled more under the covers. "That's not going to work!" the singsong voice informed her, tugging at them. It was a wonderfully pathetic tug of war. Korra felt one arm get uncovered and flailed blindly. There was a rush of wind and a thump as the morning monster was blown into the opposite wall. Korra sat up guiltily as Opal managed to get back to her feet.  
"Well I guess that worked." She observed, turning Korra's desk right side up once more. There was no saving the crockery that had been on it though. "C'mon. We're going to be late."  
Korra flopped back onto the mattress.

They were late. The three of them pulled up to the car park, watching the minibuses load up. Three buses. Twenty four to a bus, driver included. Seventy five people. It didn't take a genius to do the maths, which was confirmed by Korra's least favourite GTA. Asami waved at Korra from one of the driving seats, beckoning towards her bus, but it was already fully booked.  
"Sorry, Ope." Korra said, not sorry at all. "Looks like you're driving. We'll..." Korra looked at Bolin. "I'll pay the petrol. My fault, after all."  
Opal waved it away.  
"Next round's on you though."

It was definitely better driving in Opal's spacious and stink-free car than the minibuses. They took Bato Bridge over the lake at ten miles over the speed limit with the windows down and the volume high, catching up to the mini convoy of minibuses. The argument over seats had taken a little while to sort out, with Korra eventually being banished to the backseat for her sins, leaving Bolin in charge of the music. Opal had threatened to switch Bolin and Korra after sixty seconds for his choice of radio station. For all they were diligently pretending otherwise this should have been a sombre occasion, and so the journey should not have begun to a deafening chorus of "Itsy-Bitsy, Teenie-Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini".

It didn't take them long to catch up, even after they'd sorted the music out. As they passed the lead bus Opal slowed down for a moment, enough for Asami to notice them in the act of overtaking. The heiress tried to coax a little more speed out of the battered old bus but to no avail. Opal slid on past with a cheery wave and an answering honk of the horn.

"This is really going to suck." Korra announced, still sat in the back seat with her legs now dangling out the open door. The other two had to agree, and it had nothing to do with the way the sky was beginning to go grey, rainclouds rolling in. They looked from the square of asphalt that made up the car park to the little monument a short way off.  
"It should be bigger," Bolin said, and this time only Opal nodded. "Kor? You don't think so?"  
"Shouldn't _need_ a monument." Korra said, a little distantly. "Shouldn't have to stick a dirty great slab up and say 'here's where the massacre happened'. People shouldn't need reminders to remember stuff like that, you know?" she shook herself. "And what do you want to bet that wanker tries to downplay it?" Pre-emptive anger was better than introspection. Or at least it felt better. "How'd we end up with the fucking _sympathiser_ taking our seminar? Hell, this isn't even our damn seminar and he's _still_ fucking here!"  
"Not here yet," Opal said, in the voice of someone determined to find some kind of silver lining. It wasn't much of one. Korra just shrugged. They could see the minibuses in the distance. "Bo..." her voice softened. "Do you want to do anything? Y'know, before everyone gets here?"  
Bolin shook his head. Opal's gaze flickered ever so slightly to Korra, but the Avatar just shrugged and stuck her hands in her pockets. Opal had a sneaky suspicion she knew exactly what Korra was thinking and was fighting the urge to slap her for being an idiot, but Bolin was looking like an abandoned puppy and the others would be there soon. Probably best not to be seen slapping someone across the face at a memorial. People could misinterpret it. She took Bolin's hand instead and squeezed it.

It did not escape Opal's notice that _somehow_ Korra and Asami ended up standing beside one another. And while Korra's hands were still firmly in her pockets there was a definite bumping of elbows that Opal definitely wasn't reading too much into. She certainly wasn't over analysing that sympathetic glance Asami gave a totally oblivious Korra. Opal was mentally begging for Asami to just put an arm round her when she felt Bolin jolt beside her. Korra too had stiffened. Apparently Korra's instincts regarding the GTA were as good as ever and Opal had been too busy trying to mind-bend Asami to hear what crap he'd said this time. She looked back towards the monument a little guiltily as the silence descended and Bolin's hand tightened round hers just a fraction. They'd never had this in Zaofu. How could they? It was the only place in the world where benders were the majority.

Some of the group moved forward, a slow shuffle to the memorial. Most stood back in respectful silence. Bolin detached himself from Opal, taking his turn to place two small stones at the foot of the monument. He'd polished them to the point of gleaming but otherwise there was nothing particularly special about them. Just two small stones, one a dull red, one a dark green.

They were in no rush. The minibuses were already pulling away before Bolin turned away from the monument. Korra didn't fight for the front this time. They sat in the silent car as it began to spit, tiny raindrops spotting across the windscreen.  
"I think I need a beer." Bolin said at last. Nobody objected. Opal started the car.

Korra rested her head against the windowpane, not quite trying to doze off but not putting any energy into staying awake either. In truth the day had not been quite as horrible as she'd feared, even with the bile coming out of that prat's mouth. Opal hit a bump as they neared the centre of the bridge and Korra's head cracked painfully against the window. She sat up, rubbing her head.  
"Nice driving."  
"Blame Raiko," Opal said dismissively. "Not my fault the roads are shit."  
"Whatever. Honestly, how can you 'be the leaf'" Korra intoned, complete with hand motions, "With your lead foot and shitty reflexes?"  
"Big talk from the girl with no licence."  
"Yeah, well..." Korra didn't get to finish her sentence. She didn't get to finish her sentence because ahead one of the minibuses had lurched without warning towards the crash barrier, slamming into it sixty miles an hour and ripping through, the crumpled bonnet sticking out over the drop. Opal barely managed to hit the brakes in time, veering off, nearly taking out a white van on the other side of the road. The second minibus wasn't so fast. It hit the first head on. And the first bus went over the edge.

Korra was out of the car before it had stopped, skidding to a halt at the broken barriers. The white roof of the minibus was visible, rapidly sinking into the lake below. She looked back, seeing Bolin and Opal running towards her, saw the other drivers begin to emerge from their cars. She saw the second minibus driver, staggering out with his bloody nose. Saw the third, the GTA. Saw who wasn't there.  
"Korra!"  
The yell came too late. She'd already dived.

* * *

See what I end up doing without reviews? Nah, I'm kidding, that was always the plan. They certainly don't hurt though! C'mon, I need some feedback here! It's very unnerving to throw something like this out there only to be met with a wall of silence. I'm encouraged by the people favouriting/following but there is something very surreal about basically reading a story to a growing but silent auditorium.


	11. Chapter 11

Three guesses who forgot they were also posting this here and now feels very bad for neglecting you guys?

* * *

Bolin made it to the parapet in time to see Korra hit the water, punching through like an arrow. They didn't need to speak. They leapt, Opal finding a grip on Bolin's arm in freefall.

Opal slowed them before they hit the water, dragging as much air down with them as she could. She clung onto Bolin as he pulled up the riverbed to meet them, then rode the spur down to the bottom. It was impossible to see through the walls of water that enclosed them, dark with filth and sludge, almost like being in a cave of shimmering walls. If Opal lost concentration for even a moment the water would crash down on them and they'd be in no position to help at all.

There was no sign of Korra in that filthy water, no telltale flash of the white minibus. Bolin squared his shoulders and hips, taking as firm a stance as he could on the squelching muck and drew down with all his might. The silt settled to the river bed and they could see the van through the gloom, only a short distance away, lying on its side. The back doors had been torn open, indistinct figures streaming towards the surface. Some were dragging others behind them.

"How long can you hold this?" Bolin asked and Opal shrugged, sweat already forming on her forehead.  
"Not long. It's like lifting a boulder in reverse, keeping it down here."  
"No time to waste then." Bolin let the muck rise, once again obscuring his vision. He didn't need it. He could feel the minibus now, settled into the ooze. He pushed them towards it, speeding on a conveyor belt of mud and old junk. They damn near collided with it, Bolin once again clearing the water, just enough for them to see what they were doing. Korra broke through into their bubble and tumbled onto their private bit of dry land, soaking wet and gasping for air.  
"Four more," she gasped. "Four more. Take, up, resus..."  
And then she was gone, diving back into the river that surrounded them.

Breaking back into the river meant fighting buoyancy that threatened to throw her upward, a surreal feeling that she would have enjoyed at any other time. As it was time was very much of the essence. She swam back inside the bus, finding the first unconscious body floating against what had become the ceiling. She hooked an arm and dragged him into the bubble. It was diminishing rapidly, streaming off in ten thousand silver plumes. Opal's arm was shaking when the second arrived. The water was lapping around their knees now as the pocket floated away, their classmates floating in the little oasis of air. Opal was hanging onto Bolin as an anchor as their feet tried to float, pushed around by the current running beneath them. Korra's head barely broke through with the third, snatching a few desperate gulps of air.  
"Go!"  
"But..."  
"GO!"  
There was no use arguing. The water was inching up their thighs. Bolin took a firm grip on two of the bodies, Opal grabbing the third, taking a firmer grip on Bolin's belt. He kicked out and the earth kicked back, the spur pushing them from air to water and back up to the surface in a rush that knocked the air from the lungs.

Asami's chest was on fire. Everything was a blur of greenish brown, already going black around the edges. Her lungs were screaming, agony like she'd never felt, her vision was going blurry and the steering column was crushing her legs against the seat. No matter how she kicked or twisted she couldn't work it loose. _Stupid, shitty, Cabbage Corp..._ Something shifted in her peripheral vision. She looked up in time to see the fist slam against the windscreen once again. She opened her mouth in shock, losing more precious air. Asami braced herself against the seat and tried to wrench her legs free but it was useless. _Please. Please, please, please..._ she looked towards the blurry blue figure, still hammering on the glass. _Please_.

The last thing she saw was a blazing white light.

Bolin had 'found' a way up onto one of the bridge's concrete supports and Opal was having far more success with CPR than was statistically likely. It would have been less painful with Korra on hand to bend out the water rather than just force unwilling lungs to breathe again but at least they _were_ breathing again, huddled together on the tiny concrete outcrop, sodden and shivering, but alive. Someone was doing a headcount, not that Opal needed to be told.  
"Korra and Asami are still down there." She looked at her watch but it had stopped on being submerged, not that she'd known the time they'd hit the water. Too long, by any measure. Bolin caught her eye.  
"Should we go back down?" He asked quietly, not asking _are you strong enough to go back down? Can we risk exposing ourselves?_ Opal didn't have an answer.

The surface of the water split open, Korra powering towards the concrete perch with a limp body in her arms. She propelled herself out of the water without even bothering to pretend to climb the steep rough sides of the support and lay Asami down gently. Her head lolled to one side, wet black hair fanning out beneath her cheek.  
"Shit..." Bolin saw the glowing white eyes of the Avatar state. He pushed one of the more inquisitive students back down before he could spot it too. "Give her some space, for crying out loud!"

Opal kneeled at Korra's side, trying to block the Avatar from view as much as possible as she pulled dirty water from Asami's lungs and pushed air in. Asami's chest rose and fell but at Korra's command, not under her own power. Korra's brow furrowed. With one hand she kept moving the air, in and out, the other rolled a ball of water into being, easing the glowing sphere across Asami's chest. She found a spot and focused on it, until Asami winced and coughed, fighting Korra's control of her breathing. Korra relaxed, letting the water splash back onto the stone. She closed her eyes, blinking them back to blue.  
"Whoa..." she closed her eyes again for a moment, feeling dangerously lightheaded as she sat back on her heels. "Ope? We get them all?"  
"We did." Opal reassured her. Korra grinned, punching the air weakly.  
"Fuck yeah we did! Oh." She rested her hands against her thighs, as if to steady herself. "Ok. Opal?"  
"Hmm?"  
"I think..." she paused, thinking hard. "Yeah." She nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna pass out for a little bit, ok?" She gave Opal a rather dopey-looking smile. Opal put her arm around her as she sagged against her.  
"You did good, you big lump."  
" _We_ did good," Korra mumbled, leaning against Opal's shoulder. "Wake me up when rescue arrives, ok?"

Kya was not going frantic. She was not. She was a medical professional and medical professionals are never frantic. But she did set a new hospital record for time to A&E as the ambulances began to arrive from the bridge crash, and the knot in her chest did only loosen when she saw three very familiar faces sat together, wrapped in matching foil blankets. Korra stood as she approached, welcoming the hug.  
"You kids had we worried for a second there," Kya told them when she finally let go of Korra, hugging Opal and Bolin in turn. They shared a guilty look. "Not on the bus, huh?"  
They nodded. Kya surveyed them, still dripping and shivering.  
"It's a stupid, stupid world when you think you might get in trouble for doing the right thing. Everyone's still alive and that's down to you three. If anyone, particularly certain robe-wearing buffoons, has a go at you for it they'll be answering to me." She turned, calling down the ward. "Hey, Himiko, any problem with my jumping in and dealing with my goddaughter and her friends?"  
"Go nuts!" Himiko called back. Kya collected their charts from the desk. "Ok. Korra, you're up first."

Korra hopped up onto the little table, shrugging off the foil blanket. Kya passed her a bag and she pulled off her sodden shirt with a little difficulty, dumping it inside.  
"I hate pretending to be normal," she grumbled as Kya looked her over. "Do you know how aggravating it is to have to let yourself get hypothermia, just so you don't stand out?"  
"Oh, I don't know, about as aggravating as finding out your favourite idiot forgot to mention to the paramedics that she was bleeding?"  
"I'm not..." Korra stopped. There was a cut across the back of her arm. "huh."  
Kya circled her.  
"Your back as well, and judging by the stain on your jeans your cut your leg too."  
Korra closed her eyes, trying to remember. The cold and the adrenaline crash were fogging up her brain.  
"I broke through the windscreen. Maybe some of the framework, I can't..." The picture in her mind was hazy. She thought she remembered shattering the glass, her bruised knuckles certainly testified to that version of events, and then ripping apart the panel, bending back the steering column... "Asami!" Korra remembered. "Her lung. She had a punctured lung and I tried to fix it but I don't know..."  
"I'll make sure it's checked out, don't worry," Kya told her calmly, pushing her back on to the bed she didn't remember jumping off. "They tend to do a full work up on car crash victims. She's in good hands. So take a breath and let me have a look at what you've done to yourself this time."  
Korra scowled a little but she did so. Kya took her arm gently, turning it a little. Broken glass glittered when it caught the light. "Well this is kind of nasty. Can you, just _once_ , do the heroics without getting yourself hurt?"  
"I'll work on that." Korra promised.

Lin Beifong hung up the phone, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was not going to be fun. She picked up the handset again, dialling a number.  
"Mako, can you get in here please?"  
She shouldn't have said 'please'. He'd known something was wrong the moment she said it.

Asami blinked the world back into focus. She felt like death. Warm, groggy, high-as-fuck death. Everything hurt from her the roots of her hair down. She went through the checklist as much as she could remember before she'd drifted off. Concussion, six stitches in her scalp. Broken nose, which was more upsetting than the broken ribs from hitting the wheel, her legs were aching where they'd been crushed, and it felt like she was bruised inside and out. Which, give or take twenty long medical words that won lots of points at scrabble, was pretty much the case. Overall, she'd had better days. At least they were giving her the good pain relief. Her dad was going to pitch a fit when he found out that it had been a Cabbage Corp van. _And speaking of Hiroshi_...Asami belatedly looked to the bedside, expecting to see her father sat there, probably working away on his laptop and too engrossed to notice she had come round. He wasn't there. Asami blinked again, wondering what exactly they'd given her because she was clearly hallucinating. Korra was apparently lying across two chairs, wearing baby blue scrubs and fluffy red socks. There was a blanket in the process of falling off of her as she fidgeted in her sleep. Opal and Bolin were sat up against the wall, curled round each other, so wrapped in blankets they resembled an overstuffed burrito. Asami sat up a little more, despite the painful protest from her broken ribs. _Wait..._ She remembered a fist beating frantically against the glass. A glimpse of wide blue eyes in the murk, just before she'd blacked out. She looked back to Korra, to the bruised knuckles resting on top of the blanket. Asami sank back into the pillows, trying to process. She'd realised _someone_ had had to have pulled her out, she hadn't been having much luck herself, but she'd assumed someone in the bus had gotten ahold of her. How could Korra have even gotten down to the water fast enough?  
"Hi there."

Asami turned. An older woman was stood in the doorway in a lab coat, holding a cardboard drinks carrier, complete with four steaming takeaway cups. She set them down on the bedside table.  
"I'm Kya. Doctor Kya, if you're feeling formal, but I'm off the clock now so...Kya."  
"Asami. But it probably says that on the end of the bed. If you're off the clock..." Asami's foggy brain made the connection. "Oh, them. Right."  
"We couldn't get through to your father," Kya said apologetically. "And they offered to stay and keep you company..." Bolin chose that moment to let out a loud snore. "...and a fantastic job they're doing there..." Kya muttered, and then continued in a louder tone, "If you want I can ask them to leave."  
"No, no, that's fine," Asami said hurriedly. She looked back at Korra who seemed to be struggling to find a comfortable position in her makeshift bed. "It's, um, it's nice." She added honestly.

Korra groaned in her sleep, turning over and losing her blanket in the process. Kya frowned.  
"Excuse me a moment?"  
She set down the drinks and crossed over, bending over the sleeping figure. Asami couldn't hear what Kya was saying but the tone was low and soothing, one hand on Korra's upper arm and the other on her cheek. Korra seemed to wake rather abruptly and Kya held her against the chair for a moment before letting her sit up, all but jumping to her feet when she saw Asami was awake. She tried to sock-slide across the lino to the bedside, forgetting she was wearing grip-lined hospital issue socks. She bounced over instead.  
"Well hey there!" she beamed.  
"Hey," Asami gave her a small smile, but it was no less bright.

Mako arrived a little later, with a change of clothes for everyone. Well, almost. Korra examined the pile he'd offered her with a raised eyebrow.  
"Forget something?" She asked. Mako looked at her blankly. Judging by the look Opal was giving Korra she was in the same boat. Korra sighed. "Underwear, Mako. Did you bring any?"  
Mako went pink.  
"I...uh..."  
"Oh, Kyoshi's tits!" Korra swore, to Asami's amusement. "And unsupported tits at that! Seriously? How the fuck can you be embarrassed by underwear? We dated, Mako! You've taken my underwear off with your damn _teeth_..."  
"I did _not_ need to hear that," Bolin groaned to Opal who made a sympathetic noise and put her hands over his ears.  
"...you've worn my underwear..."  
"Wait, _what?_ " Bolin pulled Opal's hands off quickly.  
"But you couldn't fish a sodding pair of pants and a bra out my drawer?"  
Mako was properly scarlet by this point. Asami was trying to stifle her giggles, the laughter hurting her busted ribs.  
"I'd like to clarify that they were boyshorts and it was dark..." he started.  
"Oh, spare us from fragile masculinity," Korra muttered, loud enough for them all to hear. "Did you at least bring a hoody or something?"  
Mako found the garment in the bag and threw it to her.  
"Sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I uh, I wasn't thinking. I kinda panicked."  
"Don't worry, supercop," Opal smiled. "I won't tell my aunt that you're afraid of ladies' underwear."  
Mako sagged. He'd have thought finding out his brother had jumped off a bridge would have been the lowest point in his day but he had clearly been mistaken. He did his best to compose himself, gave them a nod, and stepped through the door. They heard a muffled _'oh FUCK'_ from the other side. The remaining four looked at each other.  
"How long do you think he'll stay in the bathroom before he admits he got the wrong door?"

Asami examined her face in the bathroom mirror. She didn't look too bad, a little drained, and her hair was a complete mess, but for nearly dying she was doing pretty well. _Nearly dying_. She tried to unthink it, gripping the basin. _Ok. Slow breaths. You're ok. Just a little wobbly, that's all.  
_ "You ok in there?" Korra called from the room. "Haven't blacked out on me, have you?"  
"I'll just be a minute," Asami called back, turning on the taps to splash cold water on her face. _You're alive. You're ok. Everyone's alive._ The little, nasty thought bounced around her head. _No thanks to you._ She could hear Korra moving around in the next room, and it was a reassurance as she closed her eyes and tried to remember why, how everything had gone so wrong. _The van jerked to the left..._ It hurt her head just thinking about it.

She gave up, splashing her face again. She pushed her way back into the main room and stopped dead. Korra was facing away from her, pulling the borrowed scrub top off over her head. Asami watched the muscles shift, saw the square of bandage taped to her shoulder where the worst of the scraping seemed to lead to. She stooped, grabbing the loose shirt Mako had brought her and put it on. She turned, seeing Asami watching her.  
"Enjoying the show?" She teased, and Asami blushed.  
"I didn't mean..."  
"It's fine, not like I've never shared a changing room before," Korra said easily. She studied Asami. "You feeling ok? You look a bit...odd."  
Asami shrugged. It hurt and she stopped quickly.  
"How am I supposed to feel?"  
Korra thought about it. "Yeah, fair point. How's your head though? Looks sore."  
"Oh, it is. It really is."

Asami sat on the edge of the bed and Korra hopped up beside her.  
"I wish I could remember what happened."  
"Retrograde amnesia. It's pretty common." It was Korra's turn to shrug at Asami's questioning look. "I've had more than my fair share of knocks. Go through it enough times and even a concussed hogmonkey will pick things up."  
Asami's hand found Korra's. She looked down at it rather than at the girl sitting next to her.  
"Thank you." She said. It seemed woefully lacking in the circumstances. "I should have said it earlier I just...thank you." Her voice wobbled. "I'd be...fuck, I'd be..."  
Korra squeezed her hand.  
"It's ok. Hey, Asami, look at me. It's ok. You're ok."  
Asami looked up into those pretty blue eyes.  
"Thanks to you," she said, and she leant forward and kissed her. Korra was too stunned to reciprocate for a moment but she soon got over it.

Asami flinched when Korra's hand brushed against her ribs and Korra jumped back.  
"Fuck!" she put a hand to her head. "Fuck, I shouldn't be doing this. Not like that!" She added hurriedly, because Asami was looking heartbroken. Korra took a breath, finding Asami's hand again. "Asami, no, not like..." she sighed. "You're kinda having a rough day. And you're still really quite stoned, and you're concussed, so I just...it's like I'm taking advantage."  
Asami looked at the expression of pure worry on Korra's face and didn't know how to react. She settled for sarcasm.  
"Oh yeah," she said dryly. "Really taking advantage of me... you all...having lips and...stuff..."  
Maybe Korra had a point about her mental faculties right now. Korra grinned. She craned her neck up, giving Asami a kiss on the forehead.  
"In the morning, or whatever, when you're feeling a bit more like yourself, if you still want..." she gestured vaguely between the two of them. "Well, you just let me know, ok? Because, as I think you might have guessed, I'd be very much on board. But I like my women compos mentis so we might need to hang fire here."  
Asami shook her head ruefully.  
"Such a gentleman. Gentlewoman. Gentle...whatever. Your parents should be proud."  
"I also open doors, pull out chairs, and buy flowers," Korra responded in a mock-serious voice. Asami snorted.  
"I will, you know? Want this. You. Besides," she added, feeling warm inside at how brightly Korra was smiling, "pretty sure you still owe me a drink."  
Korra laughed.

Lin rubbed her temples and reread the statement from the bridge security office. It didn't make any sense. She knew exactly which officers had been on that bridge, right down to the crime scene techs in their white plastic onsies. The description of the officer who had collected the tapes did not match any of them. She sent the balls of the little executive toy Mako had bought her clacking together with a wave of her hand. The clicks helped her to think. She halted the balls. Official procedure could catch up on its own time. She was calling Kya and inspecting that van tonight.

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Apologies again. Feel free to yell at me in the comments.


	12. Chapter 12

Look at me, actually remembering to update!

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Korra had her feet up on Asami's bed, toes wiggling as she examined the cards in her hand. Asami's face was neutral, well, as neutral as it could be with a painfully swollen broken nose, as she waited for Korra to make her move.  
"hmmm..." Korra looked up at last and grinned. "Three threes, and jack to ace." She lay the cards down with a grin on the little tray table. Asami groaned and threw her hand down in disgust.  
"I thought you didn't like take advantage of the mentally rattled," she complained as Korra claimed the pot. "Hey, quit eating the winnings!"  
"Wof the poin' o' gummy rears if 'ou an' ee em?" Korra managed through a mouthful of the gummy bears in question. She swallowed. "Your deal."  
Asami was still scowling as she picked up the cards.

Asami was spared another defeat by the arrival of an orderly bearing gifts. Or rather, dinner. Asami gathered up the deck as two plates were set down.  
"Hungry, Asami?" Korra asked. The orderly pushed one plate towards Korra.  
"Kya swung it so you could get dinner too."  
"She shouldn't have."  
"Oh it's really no trouble..."  
"No," Korra eyed the plate, "she _really_ shouldn't have _."_  
"She warned me you might say that," the man chuckled. "And she said if you did I was to remind you that you already blacked out once today so she'd totally be justified in keeping your ass in overnight, so eat the damn food."  
Korra picked up her cutlery reluctantly, trying to ignore the look Asami was giving her. She lasted less than a minute.  
"Really? The kicked puppy look?"  
"You didn't tell me."  
"Well, it kind of pales into insignificance compared to the whole," Korra gesticulated with her fork irritably, "not breathing thing! I just pushed myself too hard. No," She corrected herself. "I pushed myself _exactly_ as hard as I needed to because otherwise somebody would be dead right about now. Maybe multiple. I'm ok with a little adrenaline-crash wooziness in exchange!" Korra noticed the look of alarm and sat back a little. "Sorry. I just...I couldn't..." Korra rubbed the back of her neck, looking away from Asami. "I couldn't leave anyone down there, ok? I'm Water Tribe for crying out loud." Her face twisted into a peculiar grimace. "We don't leave people to drown."  
Asami's brain might have still been on the fuzzy side but she caught the edge to Korra's voice. She cleared her throat, bringing Korra back to the present.  
"Korra, what..."  
Korra just laughed and shook her head. "Oh no, we are not even touching that tonight." Asami thought about objecting but this angle she could see the bags under Korra's eyes. "Now come on, eat your...soggy rice slop with mystery meat...before it gets cold."  
Korra dug in with gusto, if not enthusiasm. Asami watched her more a moment before resigning herself to following suit.

It was a small comfort that the food was not as bad as it looked. At the very least, as Asami would privately admit, it was better than her last attempt to cook.

Lin wished Kya wasn't working. She found her presence rather less grating than the White Lotus guard currently serving as her personal submarine. She paced around the minibus, her feet squelching in the mud. The vehicle was still lying on its side, the grille and bonnet mangled from the impact with the crash barrier, one side crumpled in from contact with the other van. It had definitely been a close one.  
"Well?" she asked Mako, who just shrugged.  
"I don't know enough about cars to even begin to guess. That said..." He swallowed as Lin's eyebrow arched up ever so slightly. He fumbled out his notebook. "Sato's got extensive driving experience. I can't see this being a simple case of driver error."  
Lin nodded in agreement and Mako relaxed.  
"You're still missing the obvious," she told him.  
"I am?"  
Lin sighed. "Detective of the year, you. Tell me, Mako. How many wheels does a vehicle generally have?"  
"I...oh. Huh." Mako stared at the spaces where the nearside wheels should have been. The metal ended in a jagged point, as if the wheels had been snapped off. "That's...unusual."  
Lin rolled her eyes. "Understatement of the year. Don't worry, I'm sure you would have caught it eventually."  
Mako felt slightly mollified, until she added, "Unless they were hiding in a woman's underwear drawer."  
Mako would have been quite happy for the White Lotus to just let him drown right about then.

Asami looked up at the sound of passing footsteps but the door handle didn't turn. Korra had stepped out to make a quick call and still hadn't come back. It was childish but Asami hoped she'd be done soon. She really didn't like hospitals.

Korra leaned against the high top of the nurse's station, phone in hand.  
"Yes I...no, I don't understand. What?" She looked around the room, wishing there was somewhere else she could have this conversation but Kya was off somewhere actually doing her job. "That's...that's a development, at least. Yes. Yes I'm aware this would have been easier on my mobile. BECAUSE IT'S FULL OF RIVER SLUDGE, LIN!" One of the nurses gave Korra a disapproving look. "...and yes, I'm glared at now. Thank you for that. Look," she dropped her voice. "can you just pass this all along to Tenzin? I...No, Lin, I'm fine. I'm just waiting for Sato senior to show his moustache. You'd think his daughter nearly dying would light a fire under his ass but last I checked they still hadn't got through to him. You will? That'd be great. No, that wasn't sarcastic. Really. Good luck." Korra hung up the phone, rubbing her eyes.  
"You're Kya's whatever, right?" The nurse at the station asked.  
"That's me." Korra answered warily.  
The nurse pointed at a door. "Staff coffee point. Go get yourself a cup. It's better than the sludge in the machines."  
Korra bowed reverentially. "You are a _wonderful_ person."

Korra dropped into her seat, set the coffee down and picked up her cards. She used them to cover her mouth as she yawned and Asami felt guilty all over again. She had managed to persuade Bolin and Opal to go home but Korra was proving rather more stubborn. Asami knew it was selfish, and she was reminded of that every time Korra hid a yawn, but she couldn't bring herself to really try to get her to leave. She didn't want her to. She tried to tell herself she was being stupid, that she was twenty one, an adult, that she didn't need someone here to hold her hand but her chest hurt and she felt sick every time her breath snagged in her chest, every time her ribs throbbed. There was no comfort in the crisply laundered sheets and this impersonal room, and the noises and the lights and the smells...  
"Hey," Korra couldn't reach her hand from her current position so she squeezed her knee through the blanket instead. "Breathe, Asami. You're ok."  
"Sor-"  
"Don't you even try it." Korra said evenly. "What's up?"  
"I just..." Asami's lip wobbled. "I'm being stupid. I just...I really want to go home, ok? I don't want to be here. I just want to go home and curl up and pretend this never happened!" she dragged her hand across her eyes, wiping away tears of frustration. Korra decided sympathy via kneecap was not doing the job. She set down her cards and scooted up, putting a hand on Asami's shoulder. Asami looked up with red rimmed eyes. "I'm being ridiculous, I know I..."  
"You're in a shitty situation and you've got every right to feel sorry for yourself." Korra said patiently. "And if I had a driving licence...and a car...I'd take you home right now, except..."  
"Except they want to keep me in here overnight." Asami finished miserably. Korra squeezed her shoulder gently.  
"I know it's a bit trite to say it but, well, it really could be worse."  
Asami bit her lip and nodded, still a little watery eyed. "At least it's just for the night. Besides, look at the setup you've got here! Your own bed, all the gummy platypus bears you can eat," there were rather few of them left by now, "and fantastic company!"  
"Fantastic company?" Asami repeated. "Where?"  
Korra's hand went to her chest. "You wound me!" she spluttered, in mock indignation.  
"Good thing we're in a hospital then."

Korra jolted awake. Someone, probably the same person who had put a blanket over her and tucked Asami in, had turned down the lights. There was another figure in the room, sat on the opposite side of the bed to Asami. Korra staggered upright, nearly tripping over her blanket, but then her brain caught up.  
"Mr Sato?" she asked quietly, so as to not disturb Asami.  
He turned to look up at her. He looked older in the half-light, and tired, sat there in a crumpled shirt.  
"Please, call me Hiroshi. You've more than earned that."  
Korra sank back into the chair, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "When..."  
"I got here about half an hour ago. It's almost midnight."  
Korra tried to work out when she had nodded off but gave up.  
"I had my phone off," Hiroshi said, and there was no venom in his voice. It sounded more like despair. "I was in a meeting in Omashu and I had my phone off and Asami..." he swallowed. "You must think I'm a terrible father but I swear, as soon as I found out..."  
"Have they told you everything?" Korra asked, cutting through his self recriminations a little rudely, but in her defence she was barely awake. Besides, she wasn't the one he needed to justify himself to. Hiroshi nodded.  
"How is she?"  
Korra looked down at the sleeping figure between them.  
"About as well as could be expected," she said truthfully. "So she's bloody shaken up and doing a damn good job of pretending she's absolutely fine."  
Hiroshi gave a small laugh.  
"Sounds like Asami."

Korra settled into the back seat of the taxi Hiroshi had insisted on calling and paying for her rather than letting her walk over to the docks. She had barely dissuaded him from calling his chauffer, or letting him have the rather sad looking bag of soaking clothes she'd been wearing that morning professionally cleaned. The White Lotus man was mercifully quiet as he steered the boat across the short stretch of dark water, not commenting on the fact Korra had taken a seat on the middle bench rather than her usual position.

Naga was waiting for her at the docks, and Korra was only too grateful to heave herself onto her back and let the polar bear dog take the strain of the climb. She need no prompting to carry her exhausted master to her room, stopping by the bedside. Korra didn't dismount as much as fall off onto the mattress with a groan. Naga whined and nosed at her until Korra sat up again, removing her still-damp shoes and kicking the squelchy bag off the mattress before it could leak. She looked at Naga's concerned face and sighed, shoving the bedside table away about two feet. The dog wiggled into the gap, resting her head up on the mattress as Korra burrowed down into an actual bed at last.

Korra's dream were full of water. Not the murky sludge of the river but the crystal clear water, so cold it burned her skin, stung her eyes, burned her throat. Her legs kicked sluggishly and she went under, once, twice. She flailed blindly, lungs on fire, finding the needle sharp broken ice. She saw the shadow above and _crack_...

Korra woke to a wall of soft white, clutching at her wrist. She sat up, pressing back against the side of the bed she'd toppled off. She wrapped her arms around Naga's neck, burying her face in the fur as she tried to slow her racing heart.  
"That was a bad one, hey?" she tried to joke, but her voice was shaky, her chest painfully tight. "Sorry girl, didn't mean to land on you like that."  
Naga did not seem comforted. Korra loosened her grip, rubbing at her wrist, unsure just how real the pain radiating from the limb was. "I'll be right back, ok?" She promised Naga, getting unsteadily to her feet. Naga watched her go.

Korra stumbled down the hall to the kitchen, lighting the lamps with an irritable wave. She fetched the little step and retrieved the little tea caddy from its nook right on the top shelf. He opened the tin, inhaling the sweet, heady scent. It would have been faster just to smoke it, but Tenzin had views on that. Besides, her chest was already burning. She fetched the little mortar and pestle instead, following the recipe Kya had explained to her.

She became aware of the presence behind her as she heated the mixture between her hands but she didn't turn around until she was finished, making sure to return the caddy to its high spot out of the reach of the younger acolytes. She sat down at the low table, trying not to trust her now twice injured arm with any weight, and motioned for Tenzin to join her. He did so, and they sat in silence as Korra sipped at her tea, feeling the knot in her chest finally begin to loosen.

"Lin called me." Tenzin told her. She nodded in acknowledgement. "It doesn't look like an accident."  
Korra snorted into her cup.  
"I could have told you that."  
"Is there anyone who you can think of that might have wanted to do this?"  
Korra considered this and shook her head. "No way to predict who was going to be in what bus. Asami wasn't even down to drive; that was a last minute thing."  
"I'll relay that to Lin." Tenzin looked troubled. "Could somebody be targeting the students?"  
"Why? I mean, yes, ok, if you believe the Daily Republic we're a bunch of drunken, drug-addled, lazy, incompetent, self-righteous fuckwits..." Korra saw Tenzin's slight frown at the word and pressed on hurriedly, "but that's really not a reason to try kill us, surely?"  
"I doubt it."  
Korra set down the now empty cup and went back to rubbing her wrist.  
"One to worry about tomorrow," she decided. "I should really get some rest."  
Tenzin gestured to the cup.  
"Do you need another? You still look a little..." He hesitated. "Out of sorts?" he suggested. Korra raised an eyebrow.  
"You trying to tell me I look like hell?"  
"...yes. But politely." Tenzin extended his hand and, after a moment's consideration, Korra extended the teacup. Tenzin rose, tightening his dressing gown about him.

"I thought you didn't approve?" Korra asked as Tenzin ground the buds.  
"My mother has used this for years, Korra."  
"Then why..."  
"I do not approve of _smoking_ on the temple grounds." He said, as if this was obvious. "It taints the air. Here," Tenzin handed it to her to heat. "I do appreciate you and Kya switching to drinking it."  
"We decided baking it into brownies would only go terribly," Korra admitted. "We figured Meelo would get his hands on them and then spirits only knows. Probably end up with an army of stoned flying lemurs and that seemed like a bad idea."  
Tenzin had gone a little pale.

Korra shuffled back into her room and fetched an old handset from her beside drawer. She always left it charged; she lost way too many phones in her unofficial line of work. Korra flopped onto her bed, Naga settling her head across her midriff. Korra reached down to give her a reassuring scratch behind the ears as it rang.  
"Hey, mum."  
" _Korra? Sweetheart, it's very late in Republic City, isn't it? Are you ok?"  
_ "It is. And I'm ok." Korra sighed, closing her eyes. "I've just had one hell of a day."  
Korra heard the scrape of a chair and a rustle as her mother sat down.  
" _Do you want to talk about it?"_

When Ikki came to fetch Korra for breakfast the next morning she found her still sound asleep, her phone still sat on the pillow beside her head. She closed the door quietly, leaving Korra to sleep.

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